《My Substitute Wife Is a Bigwig (Lily Brooks and Loid Laurier)》


 Chapter 1

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 1</h1>


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your grandmother¡¯s ce. There¡¯s no room for unruliness. It¡¯s best you straighten up so you don¡¯t be a joke and embarrass meter.¡± A luxurious ck car pulled over in front of Martinez Residence. Susan instructed the girl beside her to ring the doorbell, her brows furrowed together from impatience. Lily was wearing a ck hoodie with a satchel. Her cap covered half her face, barely revealing her eyes. Her hands were casually tucked into her pockets as she nodded absentmindedly. ¡°You¡¯d better remember my words. Don¡¯t me me for being harsh if you mess this up.¡± Susan married into the Martinez family over a decade ago and had been living a life of luxury since. Her every move exuded the demeanor of a noblewoman. Seeing Lily¡¯s punk-like demeanor irritated her. ¡°This marriage with the Laurier family is your chance. With your grades, you¡¯ll never get into a top university. You¡¯ll spend your life working for others. Marrying the heir of the Laurier family will save you decades of struggle.¡± At this, Lily lifted her head, looking at the person lecturing her with a cold smile. ¡°If this is so great, why not send out your second daughter, then?¡± ¡°You can¡¯tpare to Shannon. I raised and taught her well. She¡¯s set to have a better life in the future. How could she marry that Laurier¡­¡± Susan realized she was being over-emotional and softened her tone. ¡°Lily, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. All these years in the Martinez family, I¡¯ve relied on your sister¡¯s intelligence and obedience to stabilize myself. ¡°Now that Jason¡¯s dead, the Martinez family is getting worse day by day. We must rely on this marriage to save the family business. It¡¯s good for both you and me.¡± Over a decade ago, her ex-husband suddenly disappeared. After two years of searching in vain, she refused to spend her whole life toiling in the countryside. So, she left Lily, who was still a baby, with her grandmother and left resolutely. Later, she married the newly widowed second son of the Martinez family, Liam, and had a daughter with him. Shannon was clever and obedient. Liam and his mother, Julia, doted on her as well. But she did not live an easy life. The Martinez family favored sons over daughters. Liam had a son, Jason, with his deceased wife. He was excellent and the pride of the Martinez family. The Martinez family¡¯s business had been thriving recently because of Jason. Hence, they weren¡¯t pleased when they learned that Susan had given birth to a daughter. Over the years, she put a lot of effort into Shannon, raising her into an outstanding youngdy in all aspects. That improved her life in the Martinez family. But now that Jason was dead, the Martinez family¡¯s business was declining significantly. To save the Martinez family¡¯s business, Shannon had to marry the eldest son of the Laurier family. Susan refused to allow that. Everyone knew that the Laurier family¡¯s eldest son suffered from a serious illness six months ago. Because of this, he became ill-tempered, and the disease also ruined his looks. There were also rumors that he might not even be able to live for two more years. She couldn¡¯t let Shannon be a widow at such a young age and live a life of loneliness. So, she had no choice but to sacrifice Lily. Lily stared at Susan with cold eyes and a mocking smile. This was how her biological mother treated her. Somehow, Susan twisted her selfishness into concern for her. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± Seeing Lily keeping silent, Susan questioned angrily. Lily withdrew her gaze, giving a faint acknowledgment. Susan was infuriated but helpless. After Lily rang the doorbell, the housekeeper quickly opened the door. ¡°Mrs. Martinez.¡± The one who opened the door was May Porter. She had been working for the Martinez family for 40 years and was the person Julia Goldberg trusted the most. May nced at Lily behind Susan and calmly said, ¡°Madam is waiting for you.¡± Although her tone was polite, itcked respect. Over the years, Susan had gotten used to being looked down upon by the Martinez family¡¯s domestic helpers. She gave a vague response and led Lily inside. Martinez Residence was huge. It took them several minutes to reach the main hall. Upon opening the door, they found the long table filled with people, seemingly preparing for a family meeting. Julia sat at the head, with her eldest son, Lionel, on her left and her second son, Liam, on her right. On both sides sat Julia¡¯s daughters-inw and grandchildren. ¡°Mom, here¡¯s Lily.¡± Susan was afraid of Julia, so she spoke cautiously, devoid of the arrogance she usually disyed in front of Lily. Julia nodded, her cloudy eyes scrutinizing Lily. Lily kept her head half-lowered with her hands still in her pockets. She stood quietly in ce. A trace of disdain shed in Julia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lily, although you haven¡¯t received a high-quality education, you should at least have basic manners, shouldn¡¯t you? You should address your elders politely.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a country bumpkin who has no one at home to teach her. What manners could her grandmother who¡¯s barely alive teach her?¡± Lionel¡¯s second daughter, Shelby, retorted sharply. Lily raised her eyebrows and stared at her coldly with her hands still in her pockets. Her slender figure seemed fragile against the wind, but she had an overbearing presence. Shelby was frightened by her gaze and instinctively lowered her eyes. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a wild child who doesn¡¯t know what manners are.¡± Lily looked away. Her face was cold and expressionless, her tone indifferent. Her attitude angered the Martinezes. Someone couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Hmph! Such a poor and rude person wouldn¡¯t fit into society.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. After all, she¡¯s going to marry the eldest son of the Laurier family. What if she causes trouble for us in the future?¡± another mocked. ¡°Haha, her? Causing trouble for us? Better hope she doesn¡¯t get scared to death by the eldest son of the Laurier family.¡± Laughter echoed around them. At this moment, Lily¡¯s phone rang with a message tone. She took out her phone and took her time to reply to the message, ignoring the mockery from the Martinez family members. Julia was annoyed to see Lily disregarding her and ying with her phone but suppressed her anger. She raised her hand to silence the others and looked at Lily. ¡°Has your mother mentioned the marriage proposal to you?¡± For her, the most important thing was the marriage proposal with the Laurier family. ¡°She did.¡± After replying to the message, Lily raised her head. Her cold eyes swept over everyone, and she spoke indifferently. Julia nodded. ¡°Although it¡¯s a marriage proposal, the daughter-inw of the Laurier family must have a high school degree. I heard you performed poorly in school, so I won¡¯t make you attend Ember Creek High School. You¡¯ll go to Liberty High School and finish your senior year. ¡°You¡¯re only 19 years old. In a few days, we¡¯ll arrange your engagement. You¡¯ll get registered with him when you turn 20. By the time you graduate from high school, you¡¯ll be able to have the ceremony. ¡°As for your grandmother, you don¡¯t need to worry. We¡¯ll arrange the best hospital for her treatment. As long as you marry him, we won¡¯t mistreat her.¡± Susan had repeated these words to Lily many times before they came, but Julia felt the need to personally remind her again. ¡°Fine.¡± Lily gave a curt response.

 Chapter 2

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 2</h1>


    As they exited Martinez Residence, darkness had already settled. Lily trailed behind Liam and Susan as they returned to Summerskye Vi. Several years had passed since the Martinez brothers and their families moved out independently. The Martinez family was the most prominent in Lagersfield City, ranking second in assets. Hence, all children lived independently from their parents after marriage. ¡°Sir, Madam,¡± a middle-aged woman opened the door and greeted them. Susan addressed her as Ms. Lopez. Though she maintained a respectful tone, Jenny Lopez cast a disdainful nce at Lily. ¡°This must be Ms. Brooks.¡± ¡°Ms. Lopez, please take Lily¡¯s luggage upstairs and provide her with the new pajamas I bought. She¡¯ll need to take a showerter.¡± Susan was overwhelmed with frustration on the way back. She couldn¡¯t shake off the memory of the Martinez family¡¯s mocking looks despite their ims that Lily was the onecking in manners. They implied that Susan abandoned her daughter to get rich by marrying into a wealthy family. Though Susan couldn¡¯t direct her frustration at the Martinez family, her displeasure toward Lily was evident. ¡°Your grandmother has been hospitalized in the VIP ward. It costs 40 thousand dors a month. Let me remind you that given the exorbitant fees, you must behave.¡± Susan¡¯s reprimand was met with Liam¡¯s cold rebuke, ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, after all. How can a mother say that?¡± Tears welled in Susan¡¯s eyes as she felt aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for our family, aren¡¯t I? Are you going to let Shannon marry that man?¡± Liam fell silent, his brows furrowing together. After a moment¡¯s pause, he turned to Lily. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to marry Mr. Laurier, I can find a way to annul this marriage.¡± Lily met his gaze. Liam was 50 years old, but he took great care of himself. He didn¡¯t look his age at all. His eyes had a sharp glint, but he tried to remain gentle before Lily. Meeting Liam¡¯s gaze, Lily quietly affirmed, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Before Liam could finish, Lily interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m going to rest.¡± Lily acted casually as if everything was fine. Having spent the entire day on the road, she felt weary and wished to talk less. As Liam watched Lily leave, he felt a pang in his heart. After a pause, he pressed, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to reconsider? This is a matter of a lifetime.¡± When Susan proposed the idea of Lily marrying into the Laurier family, Liam refused. Lily had grown up without a mother, raised solely by her grandmother in the countryside. Liam couldn¡¯t bear to see her life dictated by such circumstances. ¡°No,¡± Lily answered without turning her head. She simply ascended the stairs with Jenny. Once upstairs, Lily swiftly packed her belongings before turning her attention to the ckputer on the desktop. With nimble fingers, Lily navigated theputer, eventually pausing as a page of code appeared on the screen. Momentster, Lily stopped, her attention drawn to a file disyed on the screen. The file contained an image of a man¡ªLoid Laurier. Lily¡¯s lips curled slightly as her gaze fixed upon the photo, her expression steely. After a brief pause, Lily closed the file and took a shower. After her shower, Lily received a video call. She answered it as she dried her hair with a towel. ¡°I¡¯ve been exposed,¡± the man on the other end said. He had brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a tall nose bridge. He carried himself elegantly. Lily paused momentarily before plopping down on the chair and dropping her hair towel. She typed on theputer. After a brief pause, Lily resumed drying her hair with the towel. ¡°Done,¡± she announced. From a young age, Lily knew she was different. Shepleted the elementary to junior high sybi by the age of seven. By ten, she had assembled aputer and hacked into a website without detection. The man on the video call was Duncan, a renowned research genius known for his groundbreaking work. He often faced danger, but Lily had always been there to protect him. That formed a deep bond of friendship and understanding between them. Duncan, now safe, rxed with a cigarette in hand. His worries were momentarily forgotten. Lily nced at him. ¡°Was it hard?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Duncan admitted. ¡°But nothing I can¡¯t handle. These people are no match for me alone. It¡¯s the group attacks that get under my skin,¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Lily tossed the towel aside after she dried her hair and took a sip of her drink. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Duncan continued, ¡°I can handle it. Aren¡¯t you investigating Loid? Don¡¯t expose your identity because of me.¡± Lily responded nonchntly, sounding weary as she curled up her legs and rested her chin on her knees. ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°Once I¡¯m done here, I¡¯lle find you,¡± Duncan promised before advising Lily to control her temper when dealing with Loid. Annoyed by Duncan¡¯s persistence, Lily curtly ended the call. ¡°Stop nagging. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡­ In Anmer Heights, Lagersfield City, Loid was standing by the window with his silhouette entuated by the faint light outside. He had striking features¡ªa high nose bridge, thin lips, and deep, expressive eyes. Under the light, he looked like royalty. He pursed his lips and maintained a straight face. ¡°Mr. Laurier, the Martinez family is recing Shannon with Lily.¡± Daniel Greene, d in a ck suit, stood respectfully behind Loid. He added, ¡°She¡¯s the elder daughter of Liam¡¯s wife. Do we need to talk to them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Loid turned around and answered gruffly. ¡°I heard Lily is quite the trouble. She¡¯s always skipped sses and got into fights. She got expelled before she could finish senior high. How can she be your wife?¡± Daniel felt upset. Did the Martinez family think they could fool Loid without suffering the consequences? Loid raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, what type of woman is fit to be my wife?¡± ¡°She has to be outstanding.¡± Only an exceptional woman was worthy of Loid. Loid narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who would allow someone exceptional to marry me with my condition?¡± Daniel lowered his head and dered, ¡°I¡¯ll find Shadowbane to cure your disease.¡± However, they wouldn¡¯t have been searching to no avail if it were that easy. Loid shook his hand. ¡°Prepare a gift. It¡¯ll be my first meeting with my fianc¨¦e. I have to make a good impression.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Daniel wanted to say more but hesitated under Loid¡¯s re.


    Previous Chapter</a>2/400</a>Next Chapter</a>

 Chapter 3

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 3</h1>


    The next morning, Lily was woken up by Jenny. She furrowed her brows in irritation as she barely had any sleep. Following Jenny downstairs, she noticed someone else. It was Shannon, her half-sister from the same mother but a different father. Last night, Shannon was practicing piano at school and returned veryte. They hadn¡¯t met before. Shannon also noticed her, and a trace of admiration shed in her eyes. It was her first time meeting Lily. Previously, she had only heard about her from Susan, and she had the impression that Lily was simply awful. She hadn¡¯t expected her to be so beautiful! Lily had fair skin and delicate features. She was ridiculously perfect. She lowered her eyes and wore a nk face as she stood there. Shannon felt somewhat ufortable. She had always been the most favored and prettiest in the Martinez family. She couldn¡¯t ept that there was anyone prettier than her. ¡°Are you Lily?¡± Shannon suppressed the jealousy in her eyes, walked up to Lily, and smiled sweetly. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shannon.¡± Lily nced at herzily and said very casually, ¡°Hello.¡± Shannon didn¡¯t expect Lily to be so cold, and for a moment, she froze up. The housekeeper set the table. Lily ignored Shannon and sat at the dining table. She lifted one leg on the chair, casually picked up her spoon, and started eating. Jenny was stunned to see this. She didn¡¯t expect such rude behavior. Liam was the head of the household. It was customary to wait for him to start the meal. Shannon paused, then smiled. The worse Lily behaved, the more outstanding she appeared. Jenny couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and gave her a reminder, saying, ¡°Ms. Brook, Mr. Martinez isn¡¯t here yet. We can¡¯t eat until Mr. Martinez arrives.¡± Lily paused for a moment. She tilted her head, nced at Jenny, and smirked. ¡°Does the Martinez family have so many rules? Or do these rules only apply to me?¡± Jenny was speechless. It was true that they didn¡¯t have many rules. Liam was usually quite easygoing, and mealtimes were more rxed than in other wealthy families, where one had to wait for the head of the household to arrive. However, Jenny couldn¡¯t tolerate Lily¡¯s behavior and couldn¡¯t help but criticize her. ¡°No worries. Make yourself at home. You can rx.¡± Liam arrived in time to hear Lily¡¯sment. He gave Jenny a stern look and softened his tone toward Lily. Susan was furious to see Lily act that way, but she held back because of Liam¡¯s presence. At the dining table, Liam nced at Lily and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking it¡¯s better to try to get you into Ember Creek High School. After all, Ember Creek High School is the best school in Lagersfield. You can learn something by mixing around.¡± Liam knew it was almost impossible for Lily to get into Ember Creek High School with her grades. But he always felt indebted to this child and wanted to do his best to get her in. It was his way of paying her back. Moreover, the Laurier family would find her more eptable if she graduated from Ember Creek High School. ¡°Ember Creek High School?¡± Shannon raised her head, puzzled. ¡°Lily, didn¡¯t you finish high school?¡± She didn¡¯t know Lily was previously expelled. At this moment, she was somewhat surprised to hear that Lily still had to go back to senior high. Susan¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Something happened, and your sister has to redo her senior year.¡± Shannon chuckled at the words. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll have to work harder. The students at Ember Creek High School are all top-notch. To stand out, you¡¯ll have to put in a lot of effort.¡± Lily raised her gaze, looking at her with a smirk that seemed like a smile. ¡°Do you stand out?¡± Shannon hadn¡¯t replied yet when Susan jumped in, ¡°Of course. Shannon is an honor student, tenth ce in the whole school and 50th in the city. With her grades, she¡¯ll have no problem getting into the University of Bridgeport in the future.¡± She was showing off Shannon¡¯s achievements and taking credit for Shannon¡¯s excellence. Of course, she was proud. ¡°Shut up!¡± Liam red at Susan, and she immediately stifled her smile. ¡°Only tenth?¡± Lily asked mockingly. Shannon and Susan froze for a moment. It took Shannon some effort to speak up, ¡°Do you know how hard you have to work to be tenth ce at Ember Creek High School?¡± Lily dropped her spoon, got up casually, and smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is first is the best.¡± With that said, she ignored the people at the table, turned around, and left. She left behind the group of shocked people. ¡­ It was raining heavily at Lagersfield Cemetery. Lily walked slowly toward the depths of the cemetery in a ck hoodie. Her baseball cap covered her face, and she left behind a disappearing trail. She looked very depressed, and even her eyes were cold. In her left hand, she carried a box of beer, and in her right hand, she held some flowers and candles. She stopped in front of a tombstone with the name ¡®Jason Martinez¡¯ written on it. She didn¡¯t have an umbre, and the rain soaked her clothes, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice. She held the bouquet of flowers, took out a lighter to light the candles, and then ced them on his tombstone. She sat by the tombstone and opened a bottle of beer. She looked up at the photo on the tombstone with a bitter smile. Her stunning face looked miserable and cold as she softly said, ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ How are you?¡± The man in the photo had distinct features, and his bright smile pierced through her heart. Everyone else in the Martinez family treated her as an unwanted wild child, but they didn¡¯t know that their most beloved son had known her long ago. Those people in the Martinez family could never understand their rtionship. The rain grew heavier, almost engulfing Lily¡¯s slender body in the downpour. At this moment, a piercing ringtone echoed from her phone. Lily withdrew her gaze, turned on the voice changer, and answered the call. ¡°Speak.¡± Her voice sounded like a weathered male voice now. ¡°Somebody ced an order. They¡¯re asking for Shadowbane¡¯s contact information for a hundred million dors,¡± the voice on the other end also sounded weathered but with a hint of gloominess. Yet, he spoke with admiration to Lily. Lily was also K, a godlike hacker. ¡°No.¡± Lily¡¯s hand was in her pocket. Lowering her head, she said in a t voice, ¡°Send out a notice. I won¡¯t be taking any requests for a year.¡± ¡°What?¡± The person on the other end of the phone was shocked. ¡°Do you know the consequences of K not taking any orders? The entire internationalmunity will be in a mess.¡± He could imagine the chaos that would ensue after this notice was sent out. Lily evidently had no intention of reconsidering. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± She turned off the voice changer and simultaneously turned off her phone. ¡­ When the man on the other end tried calling again, Lily was out of reach. The man stood up, and sweat beaded his forehead. He pushed open the office door while making a call with an anxious expression. ¡°Quick, gather everyone¡­¡± ¡­ At the same time, Lily retrieved another phone from the pocket of her pants. There were very few contacts saved on her phone. There were only a handful of them, around a dozen or so. Lily grabbed a can of beer, took a sip, and dialed the contact saved as ¡®L¡¯ on her phone. ¡°Did you find out?¡± ¡°I was just about to call you.¡± This time, Lily didn¡¯t use the voice changer, and the voice on the other end sounded young as well. ¡°Loid had heart surgery that day, but we still don¡¯t know if it was Jason¡¯s heart.¡± The Laurier family was thergest socialite family in Bridgeport. They were definitely capable of keeping such information from the public. Lily squinted as she finished her beer in one gulp. Her lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look into it myself.¡± Marriage with the Laurier family was the best way forward. Putting the empty bottle back in the box, she stood up and looked at the photo on the tombstone. She said softly, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Give me some time and I¡¯ll make sure the person who received your heart pays for their actions.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 4

    <h1 ss="PcReader_title__gbJRg">Chapter 4</h1>


    The news of the engagement between the Laurier family and the Martinez family caused a sensation throughout Lagersfield. Amidst countless discussions fueled by envy and jealousy, the engagement banquet between the Martinez and Laurier familiesmenced. Following the customs of the Laurier family, the engagement banquet was kept simple to avoid unnecessary trouble, with both families dining together as a formality of the engagement. It was held at Grand Hotel, a five-star hotel in Lagersfield. ¡°When you meet Mr. Laurierter, be proactive and try to win his favor as much as possible. Got it?¡± Susan kept reminding Lily along the way to the hotel. Lily reclinedzily in her seat. Her eyes were half-shut, showingplete disinterest in Susan¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Pay attention!¡± Susan couldn¡¯t stand Lily¡¯s insolent attitude. Every time she spoke to Lily, her temper inevitably rose. ¡°If you act like this before Mr. Laurier and ruin the engagement, we¡¯ll stop any treatment for your grandmother, and you¡¯ll be sent back to the countryside. You¡¯d better take my words seriously. I¡¯m not joking.¡± Susan felt that she and Lily were ipatible. Lily always managed to infuriate her to no end. Lily turned her head, fixing her cool gaze on Susan. Impatience was evident in her eyes. She pulled out a pair of ck headphones from her backpack and replied in an icy tone, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go marry him if you care so much?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude¡ª¡± Susan was about to blow up, but Lily cut her off sharply, ¡°Shut the hell up if you¡¯re not marrying him!¡± Susan was such a nuisance. Lily put on her headphones, turned the music on her phone to maximum volume, and ignored Susan. Susan felt a sharp pain in her chest, her frustration growing. Lily caught a glimpse of Susan¡¯s sarcastic and bitter expression. She gave Susan a cold and indifferent look before turning away. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Shannon nced at Lily through the rearview mirror with a slight smile. However, she remained silent. Naturally, the Martinez family had to arrive earlier than the Laurier family for the engagement party. When Lily and her family arrived, Julia Goldberg and Lionel Martinez¡¯s family were already present. They were all seated formally in carefully designated seats. Despite rumors that the eldest son of the Laurier family had been disfigured, the Martinez family couldn¡¯t afford to be rude. The Martinez family could be wiped out with just a word from the Laurier family. They had switched out Shannon for Lily without permission, which could potentially anger Loid. If they pushed any more buttons, they would truly be ruined. As soon as they entered, Julia stood up upon seeing Lily¡¯s attire. Her anger was evident on her face. ¡°Outrageous! Who allowed you toe dressed like this?¡± Lily was still wearing her cheap ck hoodie and a ck baseball cap. Julia turned to Susan, berating her harshly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you know the asion? How could you let here dressed like this? Are you trying to ruin the Martinez family?¡± Susan had always been intimidated by Julia. Being scolded by her at this moment made her body tremble involuntarily. ¡°Mom, I bought her a dress, but this stubborn girl refused to change into it. You know as well that she wasn¡¯t raised by me. She doesn¡¯t listen to me.¡± Susan cursed Lily several times internally. No matter how she threatened or asked Lily before leaving home, Lily refused to change her clothes. Liam didn¡¯t want to push Lily too hard, so he didn¡¯t insist on her changing. ¡°It¡¯s toote to change now. The Laurier family will be here soon. How about this? Shelby is about the same height as Lily. Let them swap outfits,¡± Julia said with authority, checking the time. ¡°There¡¯s no time. The Laurier family will be here soon. Shelby and Lily can go to the restroom and change.¡± ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Shelby Martinez stomped her foot, almost in tears. She would rather die than allow a country bumpkin to wear her clothes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Julia shot her a sharp look. ¡°Do you want to offend the Laurier family? Can you bear the consequences?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shelby bit her lip, feeling both angry and upset, but all she could do was re at Lily. Julia nced at her indifferently and said coldly, ¡°You can refuse to swap outfits if you can bear the consequences.¡± Though Shelby was spoiled, she wasn¡¯t stupid. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Laurier family. If she refused to swap clothes and offended the Laurier family, she would be the scapegoat for the Martinez family. After much internal struggle, she red at Lily fiercely and said, ¡°Are youing to change with me or not?¡± Since they entered, Lily had been standing by the door with her hands in her pockets, watching the Martinez family¡¯s drama unfold. Now, having had enough of the spectacle, she walked directly to the table and sat downzily. She leaned back in her chair and said nonchntly, ¡°No!¡± As soon as Lily spoke, Susan erupted. ¡°Lily, have you no shame?¡± Susan was already upset from being scolded by Julia. Lily¡¯sck of cooperation broke Susan¡¯s elegant fa?ade. ¡°I brought you here to arrange the best treatment for your grandmother, not to cause trouble for me. I¡¯m warning you, go change your clothes immediately or I¡¯ll stop your grandmother¡¯s treatment.¡± Lily turned around sharply, her eyes filled with fury. She stood up slowly with a chilly air. ¡°Stop using my grandmother to threaten me!¡± Susan stumbled back at the sight of Lily¡¯s gaze. She almost fell over. Susan had never seen such a terrifying re. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liam didn¡¯t go to the hotel with Lily and the others as he had some business to attend to. When he arrived and noticed the tense atmosphere in the private room, he inquired about it. Shelby had long been upset with Lily and quickly exined the situation to Liam. ¡°Alright, Mom! It was my decision not to have Lily wear a dress,¡± Liam said, approaching Lily and patting her shoulder. Then, he turned to Julia and said, ¡°She hasn¡¯t lived with us, so she doesn¡¯t understand the rules. She can¡¯t learn manners all at once. We¡¯ll teach her in the future.¡± Julia¡¯s expression turned cold as she said, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Today is her engagement banquet with Mr. Laurier. The Martinez family will be utterly humiliated with her dressed like this.¡± ¡°The Laurier family won¡¯t mind.¡± Liam nced at the time. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon. Let¡¯s quickly take our seats. It¡¯ll be embarrassing if they arrive and we¡¯re still standing.¡± ¡°Yeah, Grandma. Lily just arrived in Lagersfield. There¡¯s a lot for her to learn. Don¡¯t push her too hard. After all, she¡¯s doing this for me¡­¡± Shannon trailed off. She hadn¡¯t spoken since they entered. She stepped forward to put her arms around Julia. ¡°I¡¯ll help her adapt to life at home in the future. Just let it go for my sake. Don¡¯t make things difficult for her.¡± Julia¡¯s expression softened slightly at Shannon¡¯s words. After some consideration, she finally relented. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s all sit down.¡± After everyone from the Martinez family had taken their seats, Lily lifted her gaze and nced deeply at Shannon.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 5

    Not long after, the door to the private room was pushed open, and two men walked in. One wore a silver mask and slowly strode in under the hotel lights. His eyes under the mask were dark as night, making him seem like royalty. However, he was wearing tight clothing that consisted of a high-necked T-shirt and a long windbreaker that covered himpletely. The other man was tall and thin. He had a head of brown messy hair covering part of his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, shining brightly like a light in the night. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± The man with the silver mask nced at the Martinez family and then shifted his gaze to Lily, who had been leaning against her chair since they entered without even ncing at him. Quickly, he looked away. ¡°We just arrived. Have a seat, Mr. Laurier.¡± As soon as the man in the mask spoke, the Martinez family stood up, and Julia spoke respectfully. Although they had not seen Loid¡¯s face, rumor had it that Loid was disfigured, so it was no secret that the man wearing the mask was the Laurier family¡¯s eldest son, Loid. ¡°We¡¯ll be family in the future. There¡¯s no need to be polite. Please, have a seat.¡± Even though Loid was wearing a mask and they couldn¡¯t see his face, the Martinez family still felt immense pressure talking to him. Even Julia, who was well of age, dared not look Loid in the eye. She always felt like those eyes were like a wolf lurking in the night, capable of tearing her apart with just one nce. The Martinez family sat properly with ttering smiles, all except for Lily. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shaun,¡± the other man introduced himself and then remained silent. The expressions of the Martinez family members changed slightly. Shaun was the heir of the Knight family in Bridgeport. They hadn¡¯t expected him to be here at the engagement banquet. The rumors about Shaun¡¯s close rtionship with Loid seemed true. After introducing himself, Loid nodded slightly. At first, the Martinez family was too intimidated to speak to him. Susan tugged at Lily¡¯s clothes, indicating that she should initiate a conversation with Loid, but Lily didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. ¡°Mr. Laurier, do you know when your parents will arrive?¡± Julia, who had waited for a long time and saw no one elseing into the room, couldn¡¯t help but ask. Loid raised an eyebrow, his voice t. ¡°They have other matters to attend to and can¡¯t make it. It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s proceed with the engagement.¡± His gaze swept across everyone¡¯s faces andnded on Shannon. His arm rested on the table, and he leaned forward. ¡°Is this Ms. Shannon?¡± Shannon tensed over as she met Loid¡¯s probing gaze. She nervously lowered her head. Susan thought Loid was unaware of the switch and was worried that he might take an interest in Shannon, so she hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Laurier, since Shannon is still under 18, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to be engaged to you. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve decided to have my eldest daughter, Lily, marry you instead.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Loid¡¯s voice rose slightly. It was just one word and then he fell silent. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, moved slightly. He looked at Julia, seemingly waiting for an exnation. Julia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. Lily may not be rted to the Martinez family by blood, but she¡¯s the adopted daughter of our family. She¡¯s just a part of the Martinez family as Shannon.¡± Shaun, who had been silent, suddenlyughed. It sounded somewhat mocking. ¡°Is that so? How could an adopted daughterpare to an actual daughter of the Martinez? I think you know that Loid¡¯s disfigured and only has two years to live, so you¡¯re simply sending someone to fill that position.¡± With that, Shaun abruptly stoppedughing. His expression turned cold. ¡°You have some nerve to try to trick us.¡± As soon as he said this, the Martinez family members were shocked and flustered. They quickly stood up. ¡°We dare not trick you, Mr. Laurier.¡± Julia¡¯s hands trembled, and her voice couldn¡¯t stop shaking. ¡°It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have a daughter that¡¯s of age, so we have no choice but to let Lily marry. If the Laurier family insists on Shannon marrying over, we¡¯ll¡­¡± Julia nced at Shannon and struggled to continue, ¡°We¡¯ll wait until Shannon turns 18 before letting her get engaged to you.¡± Deep down, Julia didn¡¯t want Shannon to marry Loid. After all, Shannon was the best daughter in the Martinez family. Over the years, only Shannon could bring honor to the Martinez family besides Jason. With Jason gone, the future of the Martinez family would be dark without Shannon. However, the Laurier family specifically asked for Shannon, so Julia had no choice but to agree. Later, Susan suggested that Lily could rece Shannon. Julia thought it was a good solution, but unexpectedly, it angered Loid. ¡°Hey! If you¡¯re going to die, don¡¯t bring trouble to the girl. Can¡¯t you see she doesn¡¯t want to be a widow?¡± Just as the Martinez family was in a state of panic, Lily, who had been sitting in her chair ying with her phone, suddenly looked up and said to Loid in a provocative tone. She sounded like she wanted to challenge him with her words. The Martinez family members were shocked by her words. Susan clenched her fists, furious. She scolded her, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Who allowed you to speak? Get out!¡± Julia was also furious, but because Loid was there, she swallowed her anger. However, Shelby couldn¡¯t hold back and pointed at Lily, reprimanding, ¡°You country bumpkin, you just want to humiliate our family, don¡¯t you? Get out of here right now. We don¡¯t wee you in the Martinez family.¡± At this point, the Martinez family could see that Loid didn¡¯t want to marry Lily. They had been holding back their anger toward Lily, and it all imploded at this moment. All of them began to berate Lily, their words sharp and sarcastic. Loidzily leaned back in his chair with his hands folded across his chest. There was a glint in his eyes as he stared at Lily, somewhat surprised. This woman hadn¡¯t even nced at him from the moment he entered. Even though the Martinez family trembled in fear before him, she showed no fear at all and was even ying with her phone the whole time. She was seemingly unaffected by everything happening in the room. Everyone around him was always trying to please him or feared him. Only she sat therezily. She didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid in the face of the Martinez family¡¯s insults. Her red lips curled into a smirk, and her eyebrows under her cap were arched. Those cold eyes looked at Loid, immediately piercing through his heart. The two stared at each other for a long time. Loid withdrew his gaze and looked at Julia, speaking calmly, ¡°How dare you insult my fianc¨¦e in front of me? Am I invisible to you?¡± Julia froze on the spot after she heard that one sentence. What did he mean? Loid called Lily his fianc¨¦e. Did that mean Loid epted Lily? ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡± Julia suddenly shouted at her family members, her wrinkled face looking somewhat ferocious. ¡°Apologize to Lily!¡± As intelligent as Julia was, she wouldn¡¯t ask Loid if he had epted Lily. She just wanted to handle things smoothly and extinguish Loid¡¯s anger.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 6

    Shelby, who was the harshest on Lily, stared at Julia in disbelief. ¡°Grandma, are you kidding me? Lily is spewing nonsense here. She offended Mr. Laurier, and you want us to apologize to her?¡± Shelby was somewhat agitated. Julia gave her a sharp look, gritted her teeth, and said coldly, ¡°I told you to apologize immediately!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shelby wanted to say something but was pulled back by her father. In the end, under Julia¡¯s stern gaze, those who berated Lily had to apologize, including Susan. Having to apologize to her unwanted daughter made Susan feel extremely embarrassed, but she couldn¡¯t disobey Julia¡¯s orders. After their apologies, Julia smiled politely and asked Loid, ¡°They¡¯re just ignorant, Mr. Laurier. Please forgive their unreasonable behavior.¡± Loid took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and blew out a puff of smoke under the mask. His gaze shifted slightly, looking at Lily. ¡°Do you ept their apologies?¡± Upon hearing this, Lily raised her eyebrows, a wicked smile gracing her lips. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hear that?¡± Loid leaned backzily with one arm draped over the chair as he looked at Julia. Julia silently cursed Lily¡¯sck of ability to read the room but dared not say anything in front of Loid. She had to humble herself and ask Lily, ¡°What can they do to gain your forgiveness?¡± Lily rested her chin on one hand and shut her eyes, looking quite serious for a moment. Then, she casually said, ¡°How about sewing their mouths shut?¡± She was smiling, but her words sent shivers down people¡¯s spines. No one could have imagined that a 19-year-old girl could be so heartless. They merely admonished her, and she wanted to sew their mouths shut. ¡°Lily, you¡¯re going too far¡­¡± Shelby was furious and wanted to p Lily, but she was stopped the moment she spoke. Everyone in the Martinez family could see that Loid was standing up for Lily. If Shelbyid hands on Lily, the consequences would be dire. Julia took a deep breath, her eyes filled with sorrow as she nced at Lily. She clenched her hands and said after a long while, ¡°What they did was wrong. They shouldn¡¯t have humiliated you, but such punishment is too harsh. Please spare them once. I¡¯ll apologize to you on their behalf.¡± However, it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to apologize at all. Lily raised her chin slightly, slowly tapping her fingers on the table. She asked casually, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Julia balled up her hands into fists as she realized something. She never expected that even after humbling herself like this, Lily would remain unmoved. She looked up at Loid, and seeing him silent, she apologized sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive them.¡± Lily still rested her chin on her hand, her brows slightly raised as she ignored Julia. The atmosphere turned awkward for a while. Loid extinguished the cigarette butt, poured a ss of water, and handed it to Lily. ¡°In awful society, why not choose a different form of punishment?¡± He spoke in a charming tone. His voice was deep, exuding wisdom and experience. He treated everyone else coldly, but with Lily, he softened up. Lily raised her eyebrows slightly. She reached out her slender fingertips to ept the ss of water. Their hands inadvertently brushed against each other. She thought for a moment. ¡°How about making them p themselves ten times?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not bad.¡± The mask hid Loid¡¯s face, but Shannon saw his eyes lit up. Julia red at Lily with a cold gaze, gritting her teeth. She ordered those who humiliated Lily, ¡°Hear that? Start now.¡± The Martinez family members gritted their teeth in hatred but didn¡¯t dare to disobey Julia¡¯s orders, especially with Loid present. They wouldn¡¯t be so lucky if they waited for Loid to take action. Finally, several people reluctantly pped themselves more than ten times. Shannon looked at her miserable family with clenched fingers while biting her lip. A coldness flickered in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t ept that a country bumpkin like Lily would manage to get Loid to stand up for her. This should have been hers. The man she rejected was speaking up for a woman who was inferior to her. With this thought in mind, Shannon suddenly stood up. She seemed to have made a big decision. ¡°Mr. Laurier, I¡¯ll marry you. I¡¯ll be 18 in half a year, which won¡¯t affect our engagement.¡± All the Martinez family members widened their eyes at her words, and Susan was particrly stunned. She took some time to regain her senses. After a long while, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Shannon, have you gone mad? How could you¡­¡± Just as she spoke, she realized Loid was there and quickly stopped herself. ¡°Grandma, Mom, I can¡¯t let an outsider bully you.¡± Shannon pursed her lips, looking delicate and weak. The Martinez family members were deeply moved, but no one knew that she just didn¡¯t want Lily to steal the limelight. The Martinez family broke down into tears, but Loid and Lily remained unimpressed. They were firm on their stance. Shaun nced at Loid¡¯s expression and suddenly mmed the table. ¡°What do you take Mr. Laurier for? Trash? You take him when you want him, reject him when you don¡¯t. No one in all of Bridgeport would have the guts to do this. How dare you?¡± ¡°But Shannon was supposed to marry Mr. Laurier.¡± Julia was an efficient woman. She had been managing the Martinez family for so many years and was shrewder than she appeared. She was annoyed by Lily¡¯s attitude toward the Martinez family. Lily wasn¡¯t raised by the Martinez family and had a wild streak in her bones. She was disobedient and rebellious. Allowing such a person to gain benefits from marrying into the Laurier family would be more of a curse than a blessing for the Martinez family. Shannon¡¯s willingness to marry over was the best for the Martinez family. ¡°Julia.¡± Loid suddenly stood up, his slender figure elongated by the light. He strolled toward Julia while exuding apelling air. ¡°I think Lily is quite a catch. What do you think?¡± There was a cold chill in his eyes, and his voice was icy. His mask also looked ferocious. Julia looked up. Her legs trembled, and she almost stumbled. She immediately caught Loid¡¯s implication and stuttered, ¡°Yes, I think she¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Loid looked away and stood tall with his hands in his pockets. Looking around, he called out, ¡°Daniel.¡± The private room door was pushed open. Daniel and several bodyguards who had been waiting outside brought in several boxes and ced them on the table. ¡°This is Mr. Laurier¡¯s gifts for Ms. Brooks,¡± Daniel opened the boxes. ¡°Here¡¯s ten million dors.¡± Julia¡¯s eyebrows twitched, her throat feeling somewhat dry. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree on five million dors?¡± ¡°An extra five million dors as a bonus. Mr. Laurier is very satisfied with Ms. Brooks.¡± The Martinez family finally understood. Today¡¯s engagement banquet was for Lily. Before he came, Loid already knew they would rece Shannon with Lily. He was giving them this sum of money probably not because he was genuinely interested in Lily but because he wanted them to regret their decision. While the Martinez family was in a daze, Loid walked up to Lily. ¡°Feelings can grow over time. What do you think?¡± Lily smiled cheekily. ¡°I think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°In that case, move to Anmer Heights tomorrow.¡± With these words, Loid left with Shaun, Daniel, and the others. Inside the private room, the Martinez family was left speechless. The dishes on the table had long gone cold, untouched.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 7

    Without Loid present, the members of the Martinez family red at Lily. Susan, in particr, lost her temper and charged at Lily. ¡°You wretched thing! I went to great lengths to bring you and your grandmother here, and this is how you repay me? If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today, you won¡¯t understand how dangerous society can be.¡± As Susan spoke, she raised her hand to hit Lily. However, before her hand could reach Lily¡¯s face, Lily caught it firmly. Lily raised an eyebrow, her eyes cold and her voice chilling. ¡°Keep your ws to yourself or I¡¯ll cripple them.¡± ¡°You!¡± Susan clutched her chest, her face turning pale. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see how capable you are. Without the Martinez family, how will you afford your grandmother¡¯s medical bills?¡± Lily sneered, ¡°Do whatever you want!¡± Did these people think they could threaten her with her grandmother? Nobody could force her to stay unwillingly. Forty thousand dors a month for medical expenses wasn¡¯t a lot. People would fight to pay her, and it was up to her to ept it. Lily was about to leave when the door to the private room suddenly opened again. Loid, who had just left, returned. The Martinez family members stiffened and quickly masked their expressions. Susan pointed at Lily, about to scold her, but the words got caught in her throat. Loid nced indifferently at the Martinez family and walked straight to Lily, holding an exquisite gift box. He handed it to her calmly. ¡°I forgot to give this to you earlier.¡± Lily raised an eyebrow and took the gift box, opening it immediately. The Martinez family members sneered inwardly. This was expected of a country bumpkin. She had no manners. She opened a gift immediately instead of waiting. But when they saw the contents of the box, they all gasped. Someone couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Emerald Love?¡± Someone else quickly chimed in, ¡°Gosh, it really is Emerald Love! This is a ne designed by the famous designer, Gabriel King. It¡¯s a one-of-a-kind.¡± Another person added, ¡°Not just that! Two years ago, this ne was auctioned off for two billion dors, but no one knew who bought it. Turns out it was Loid.¡± Someone said bitterly, ¡°Loid gave such a valuable gift to this wild girl. What a waste!¡± As Shannon listened to themotion, her expression darkened with jealousy. She felt her heart sink to her stomach. This unique, incredibly precious ne should have been hers. She had personally delivered this opportunity to Lily. She clenched her fingers tightly and bit her lip. She could feel her heart bleeding. Even if Loid were disfigured and had only two years to live, as long as she was Mrs. Laurier, she would inherit his wealth. Even a tenth of it would be enough for her to livefortably for several lifetimes. Moreover, the Laurier family had never said that she couldn¡¯t remarry after Loid¡¯s death. A few yearster, she could still choose to remarry. But she had let the opportunity go. Shannon lowered her head, unwilling to look at the ne. The more she looked at it, the more it pained her. Lily nced at the ne before closing the box under the envious gaze of others. Her expression remained calm as she looked at Loid. ¡°Do you expect a gift in return?¡± The Martinez family was so infuriated by Lily¡¯s indifference that they almost choked. It seemed she didn¡¯t understand what was in her hands. Even if she didn¡¯t, she should¡¯ve heard from their loud exmations, right? Why was she still so calm? From the moment Lily epted the gift box, Loid had been watching her expressions. She showed no reaction at all. Was it because she didn¡¯t know the ne¡¯s value or because she didn¡¯t care about it? At this thought, Loid¡¯s cold lips barely curled into a smile. He found her very interesting. ¡°ording to tradition, yes,¡± Loid said, looking down at Lily. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything prepared, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lily¡¯s stroked her chin thoughtfully. She didn¡¯t have anything suitable to give as a gift. After some thought, Lily pulled out a small ceramic bottle from her pocket and shook out a tiny brown pill-like object. ¡°Here, take this.¡± It seemed rather stingy to give only one. Loid stared at the unknown little pill and was unable to suppress his lips from twitching. This was truly unexpected. Seeing him hesitate, Lily raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± With a cough, Loid took the item from her hand. ¡°It¡¯s quite nice.¡± Lily said, ¡°My gifts are never subpar. Don¡¯t be fooled by its size. This thing is quite valuable.¡± Lily thought for a moment and added seriously, ¡°It¡¯s worth more than your ne.¡± The Martinez family was stunned when they saw Lily give Loid an unknown item. They stood there dumbfounded. Even Liam, who was usually patient with Lily, looked slightly bewildered. The Martinez family could have prepared one if she hadn¡¯t prepared a gift for Loid. But what was she thinking, giving such a useless item to him? Did she even know what she was doing? ¡°Lily!¡± Susan snapped out of her shock, unable to hold back her anger. ¡°How much longer are you going to embarrass me? How could you give Loid this as a gift?¡± What the hell was that? Susan felt like she was about to be driven mad by Lily. Shelby, who already disliked Lily, couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°A country bump¡ª¡± But before finishing her sentence, she noticed Loid¡¯s re and stopped just in time. She quickly corrected herself, ¡°Do you know how much this ne costs?¡± Lily nced at her indifferently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it¡¯s two billion dors?¡± ¡°Since you know that, why would you give Loid this in return? Is this thing worth two billion dors? Lily, it¡¯s not like the Martinez family can¡¯t afford a proper gift. You can¡¯t give such a shabby thing to embarrass Loid, right?¡± Shelby gloated. It would be best if Loid got offended and refused to marry Lily. Then, Lily would have no right to act arrogantly toward the Martinez family. Julia was also furious but managed to suppress her anger. She addressed Loid humbly, ¡°Apologies, Loid. This child just came from the countryside and doesn¡¯t understand the way things are. We¡¯ll prepare a proper gift.¡± This was her mistake. She had assumed that with such a marriage of convenience, Loid wouldn¡¯t care and wouldn¡¯t prepare a gift himself, so she hadn¡¯t prepared one either. Now, it was truly embarrassing. Lily paid no attention to their words. She looked nonchntly at Loid. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, you can give it back.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want it?¡± Loid¡¯s interest in Lily grew, and he asked with a smile. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Something that could save your life,¡± Lily said, staring intently at Loid.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 8

    Loid¡¯s slender fingers stiffened slightly as his gaze met Lily¡¯s. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. What a sharp look. Though she appeared calm, her eyes were intensely prating, as if she could see through his mask and face. After a long moment of eye contact, Loid looked away with a smile. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s worth more than my ne.¡± The Martinez family members widened their eyes in shock. What was wrong with Loid? That item was cheap, so why did he say it was worth more than Emerald Love? Loid pocketed the item and looked down at Lily. ¡°Are you leaving? I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± His voice was warm. ¡°Sure.¡± Lily didn¡¯t think of herself as an outsider at all. She quickly turned and left without any hesitation. The Martinez family was left feeling both a mess and angry. ¡°Grandma, are you really going to let Lily marry Loid? She¡¯s already so arrogant now. If she actually marries him, won¡¯t she just walk all over us?¡± Shelby said through gritted teeth. She was nearly driven mad by Lily just now, but with Loid there, she didn¡¯t dare to do anything to Lily. Julia also looked upset. She looked at Shannon, her gaze cold. ¡°Shannon, do you really want to marry Loid?¡± Shannon bit her lip, jealousy almost spilling from her eyes. However, she hid it before Julia. She nodded, speaking softly, ¡°Yes, Grandma. After all, Lily wasn¡¯t raised in our family and has no feelings for us. Now, she¡¯ll use Loid to bully us. I can¡¯t stand it. As a child of the Martinez family, I should do something for the family.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Julia smiled with satisfaction. ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t dote on you in vain. Let¡¯s go home first. I¡¯ll think of a way to handle this.¡± No one in the Martinez family objected to Julia¡¯s decision, and they all followed her home. Loid dismissed Shaun and Daniel on the way to sending Lily back. He drove with Lily sitting in the front passenger seat. Lily leaned back in her seat, ying with her phone the entire time. The streetlights illuminated her cold face, adding a touch of radiance. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to marry me, I can cancel the engagement,¡± Loid said midway through the drive, ncing at Lily calmly. Lily had just started a new game. Hearing this, she looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. Loid¡¯s well-defined fingers turned white as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He stopped the car and leaned slightly toward her, his thin lips parting. ¡°If you¡¯re being forced, you can choose not to marry me.¡± Lily rested her head on her hand by the window and remarked casually, ¡°I heard you¡¯re quite rich.¡± ¡°Richer than most,¡± Loid said, opening the window and lighting a cigarette. ¡°And pretty powerful,¡± Lily said softly as if stating a simple fact. ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t dare mess with me.¡± Loid took a drag and exhaled a smoke ring, his deep eyes shing. Lily nodded, lowering her gaze. ¡°I¡¯mcking both money and power.¡± Loid paused for a moment before curling his lips. ¡°Alright.¡± He flicked away the cigarette and restarted the car. Instead of taking Lily back to Martinez Residence, he took her out for a meal. Loid guessed she had to be hungry since neither he nor the Martinez family members had eaten dinner. After dinner, he drove Lily back to Martinez Residence. She asked him to drop her off at the gate. She waited until Loid¡¯s car had left before squinting her eyes and heading to Lagersfield City Hospital. She stopped in front of an office building behind the inpatient department. The office building¡¯s front door was locked, and it was pitch-ck inside. Lily nced up, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. She looked around, then moved to the back of the office building. Pulling her hands out of her pockets, she skillfully leaped onto the wall, grabbing the second-floor window grate and flipping herself up. In a few movements, she climbed up to the sixth floor, opened a window, and jumped inside. The streetlights outside cast faint glimmers of light into the room, where it was otherwise quite dark. She walked directly to a cab filled with documents. She pulled a small silver pin from her pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. With a click, the cab opened. Lily turned on her phone¡¯s shlight and searched through the files for a while before finally finding the one she was looking for. A momentter, Lily frowned. Her eyes narrowed as her body turned cold. The document she held was the legal document for Jason¡¯s organ donation, with Jason¡¯s name neatly signed at the bottom. It was his handwriting. Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed further, and she radiated an icy chill. Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Lily put away the agreement and jumped out of the window. On her way back, Lily called Duncan. ¡°The donation documents are real!¡± It was a cold day, and a gust of wind blew, making Lily pull her jacket tighter. Duncan, who was dealing with a tricky situation, looked up in surprise. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not joking?¡± Lily pulled her baseball cap lower, feeling both irritated and annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s his signature.¡± ¡°This is strange. He was in a car ident, but he was taken to have his heart donated before his family even arrived. He should¡¯ve been unconscious at that time, so how could he sign the donor consent form?¡± Duncan dropped his usual calm demeanor and turned serious. They had always thought the donation agreement was forged, which was how Jason¡¯s heart had been taken so quickly. But unexpectedly, it was Jason¡¯s signature. Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed further with a dangerous glint. ¡°This is not as simple as it seems.¡± When Jason had his ident, the hospital told her he had signed a heart donation agreement and had undergone surgery before being taken for cremation. Only two hours had passed from the time of Jason¡¯s ident to her arrival. The hospital couldn¡¯t even wait for the family to arrive before rushing him to the crematorium. When she questioned the doctor who received Jason¡¯s heart, the doctor evaded her questions. She did everything she could to uncover the truth, but even powerful officials who helped her investigate came back empty-handed. They all told her that this matter could not be investigated. Lily refused to give up, however. She investigated further to find out that Loid had undergone heart surgery at this hospital on the same day. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that Jason¡¯s heart was donated just as Loid had surgery. The Laurier family certainly could cause the ident and then secretly take Jason¡¯s heart. But Jason¡¯s signature was genuine. What had gone wrong in between? ¡°If you ask me, you shouldn¡¯t marry Loid to get the truth. Just poison him and the truth wille out,¡± Duncan said through gritted teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not as simple as you think.¡± There was a glint in Lily¡¯s eyes, and her lips curled slightly. ¡°Do you want me toe back and help you?¡± Duncan frowned. ¡°If Loid is really that dangerous, you¡¯re in danger!¡± ¡°No need. I can handle it,¡± Lily said coldly before hanging up.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 9

    The following day, Susan gave Lily a cold look when she went downstairs. Even the domestic staff treated Lily with disdain, no longer as polite as before. They had all heard about what happened at the engagement party and looked down on Lily even more. However, Liam¡¯s attitude toward Lily remained unchanged. ¡°Lily, I¡¯m sorry. I pulled a lot of strings but still couldn¡¯t get you enrolled at Ember Creek High School. For now, you¡¯ll have to go to Eureka High School. It¡¯s not as good as Ember Creek, but it¡¯s still decent,¡± Liam apologized during breakfast. He was genuinely making an effort regarding her admission to Ember Creek High School. Although the Martinez family was the second wealthiest family in Lagersfield, they were ultimately just a business family and couldn¡¯t influence authoritative decisions. He had contacted many acquaintances but couldn¡¯t get Lily into Ember Creek High School because her grades were too poor. ¡°That¡¯s really unfortunate,¡± Shannon said with a smile upon hearing this. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d attend the same school as me!¡± Shannon smiled sweetly, but there was a malicious glint in her eyes. Yesterday¡¯s events had been a severe blow to her, and she needed to reim her pride. Shannon would stand out as long as Lily appeared incapable. ¡°Unfortunate?¡± Susan red at Lily with resentment, her eyes filled with fury. ¡°With her grades, getting into Eureka High School already took a lot of effort. She should take a look at herself in the mirror. How dare she even think about going to Ember Creek High School? That¡¯s way out of her league!¡± After returning home yesterday, Julia reprimanded Susan harshly. Susan wished she could drive Lily out of the house. But instead of that, she had to treat her well and cater to her needs. After all, Loid had taken a liking to Lily and had asked her to move to his estate today, which essentially confirmed her status as his fianc¨¦e. Susan felt as though something was stuck in her chest, and it caused her great difort. Hearing her most beloved daughter expressing regret for Lily made her fly into an uncontroble rage. Frowning, Liam was about to rebuke Susan when Lily suddenly looked up. Her gaze was mischievous as she stared at Shannon. ¡°Do you really want to go to the same school as me?¡± ¡°Of course. If we¡¯re at the same school, we can look out for each other,¡± Shannon replied sweetly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to Ember Creek High School,¡± Lily said. She put down her cutlery and turned to Liam. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the school. I have a rmendation letter from the principal of Ember Creek High School.¡± Hearing this, Shannon froze, and her expression turned twisted. ¡°Lily, do you even know who the principal of Ember Creek High School is?¡± She had only wanted to embarrass Lily but hadn¡¯t expected her to brag so shamelessly. A rmendation letter from the principal? What a joke! Had living in the countryside made Lily¡¯s brain dull? Susan also widened her eyes as if she had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world. She quickly mmed the table and scolded harshly, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for you to act all nonchnt, but now you¡¯re lying through your teeth. Do you even know who the principal of Ember Creek High School is? Do you think he¡¯d give you a rmendation letter? ¡°Lily, just because Loid has taken a liking to you, don¡¯t think you can act high and mighty and lie so tantly. You¡¯re now living with the Martinez family, and you represent us. You¡¯d better keep such nonsense to yourself and never say it again.¡± The principal of Ember Creek High School, Joseph Woodly, was well-known in Lagersfield. Though the Woodly family ranked fourth among Bridgeport¡¯s elite families, below the Laurier family, they were still one of the most prominent families in Bridgeport. Joseph was known for his integrity, never giving anyone special treatment. Over the years, his presence had made Ember Creek High School famous in Lagersfield and nationally renowned. People from all over the country strived to get into Ember Creek High School, and many elite families would try to pull strings to get their children admitted. However, Joseph valued the quality of education so much that no one had ever managed to get in by getting special favors. What made Lily think she could get a rmendation letter from Joseph? Even Shannon had to take the exam and meet the requirements to get in. Liam¡¯s expression nearly cracked. He had been amodating toward Lily, but her current im was too much to swallow. The atmosphere grew tense. Liam cleared his throat and said, ¡°You might not be aware of the rules at Ember Creek High School. Mr. Woodly has never written a rmendation letter to any student.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Eureka High School is quite good too. Many students from there get into prestigious universities each year. If you work hard, you can do well too.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I think Ember Creek High School is a better fit,¡± Lily replied politely but with an undeniable firmness in her tone. She came to Lagersfield not only to investigate the issue of Jason¡¯s heart but also to attend school, fulfilling her grandmother¡¯s wish. Her grandmother did not expect her to be extremely wealthy but hoped she would get a high school diploma. Although Lily had been ratherzy over the years and couldn¡¯t care for her grades, she would never go against her grandmother¡¯s wishes. Upon learning that she wasing to Lagersfield, Joseph had contacted her numerous times. In the end, he insisted on giving her a rmendation letter. Initially, Lily hadn¡¯t decided whether to attend Ember Creek High School, but after listening to what Shannon and Susan had to say, she made up her mind. Susan was about to scold Lily when Jenny suddenly hurried over and said in an urgent tone, ¡°Sir, Madam, Ms. Laurier is here.¡± Susan¡¯s expression fell instantly. She quickly withdrew her hand and put on a big smile. Liam nced at her, then stood up and instructed Jenny, ¡°Please invite Mr. Laurier in.¡± Jenny hurried out and soon returned with Loid, apanied by Shaun and Daniel. As soon as Loid entered, he sensed the tense atmosphere. His deep eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Lily and asked in a calm voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Knowing that Lily would speak out, Susan quickly interjected, ¡°Nothing. We were just discussing which school Lily would enroll in.¡± Lily raised an eyebrow, a cold smile ying on her red lips. However, she remained silent. She stood with her hands in her pockets, looking indifferent. ¡°Oh?¡± Loid asked curiously, and his handsome eyes sparkled with interest. ¡°Which school?¡± She scored zero for nearly every subject. Loid was interested to see where the Martinez family would put her. ¡°She wants to go to Ember Creek High School,¡± Shannon said shyly from the side. ¡°But her grades are too poor. My father tried to use his connections, but Ember Creek High School still refused.¡± Shannon looked genuinely concerned as if she were truly worried for Lily. But Loid didn¡¯t spare her a nce. He kept his gaze on Lily and asked slowly, ¡°You want to go to Ember Creek High School?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lily replied nonchntly. ¡°That¡¯s quite difficult,¡± Loid remarked, his eyes roving over Lily. It seemed she had a preference for wearing ck. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. I have a rmendation letter,¡± Lily said. Her head was lowered, and she showed little interest in everything around her. Upon hearing this, Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed in surprise as he stared at her.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 10

    Upon hearing this, Shaun and Daniel also looked surprised. Joseph had been the principal of Ember Creek High School for so many years and had never given anyone a rmendation letter. Even the Laurier family members had to take the regr entrance exam and achieve the required score to get into Ember Creek High School. It was surprising to hear he would give a rmendation letter to an adopted daughter of the Martinez family. Shaun¡¯s gaze toward Lily became more intense, filled with curiosity and intrigue. ¡°Mr. Laurier, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. How could Mr. Woodly possibly give her a rmendation letter? She¡¯s just mad that we didn¡¯t get her into Ember Creek High School,¡± Susan said. She was worried that Loid would misunderstand and think poorly of the Martinez family¡¯s upbringing. That would potentially ruin the engagement. Loid nced at Susan indifferently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If she wants to go, the Laurier family will make the necessary arrangements.¡± Susan said anxiously, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Lily is my daughter. Of course, the Martinez family has to be responsible for her education.¡± Susan gave Lily a fierce re. This troublesome girl always made things difficult whenever Loid was around. ¡°Although the Martinez family isn¡¯t as powerful as the Laurier family, we can still manage her enrolment matters. You don¡¯t need to trouble with this, Mr. Laurier,¡± Susan said, wearing a restrained smile. Loid and Lily were merely engaged; they weren¡¯t truly one yet. Asking the Laurier family for help in such a small matter might make Loid look down on the Martinez family. So, the schooling issue had to be handled by the Martinez family themselves. At this thought, Susan internally cursed Lily several times over. Lily wasn¡¯t exceptionally talented, but she insisted on attending a prestigious school like Ember Creek High School. Lily had no self-awareness, which drove Susan mad. Susan thought she must¡¯ve been crazy to suggest that Lily marry Loid instead of Shannon. The n worked, but it left her anxious and frustrated every day. ¡°Yes, we won¡¯t trouble you with this, Mr. Laurier. I¡¯ll find a way for Lily to attend school,¡± Liam agreed with Susan. After all, Loid and Lily were only engaged. It wouldn¡¯t be proper to bother the Laurier family over such a trivial matter. The Martinez family¡¯s reputation was already falling. It would get worse if word got out that they relied on the Laurier family for their children¡¯s education. Liam nced at Lily, feeling a headache. He had already reached out to every possible contact within his capabilities, but no one was willing to ept Lily. Getting her into Ember Creek High School was proving to be quite troublesome. ¡°Alright.¡± Loid didn¡¯t say more. He turned to Lily and asked, ¡°Are your things packed?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lily said, pointing to a single suitcase behind her. ¡°Just that one?¡± Loid seemed genuinely surprised. He expected at least four suitcases. Even if Lily herself didn¡¯t have much, he thought the Martinez family would have bought her more stuff. The sight of just one suitcase made his expression darken. He couldn¡¯t believe his fianc¨¦e barely had any possessions. Lily saidzily while adjusting her baseball cap, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m poor.¡± Susan felt a surge of anger, but she swallowed it down after seeing Loid¡¯s stern expression. She had bought a lot of new clothes and various daily necessities for Lily, but Lily had simply thrown them out. It was hard to tell where Lily had picked up her stubborn and tough attitude. ¡°Can we go now?¡± Lily asked nonchntly while looking down. Loid lifted his gaze, nced at Susan and the others briefly, and then looked away indifferently. ¡°Daniel.¡± Daniel responded. He picked up Lily¡¯s suitcase and headed out. Lily only addressed Liam as they left while ignoring Susan and Shannon. ¡­ Anmer Heights was a luxurious vi residence in Lagersfield. It took about half an hour to get there from Summerskye Vi. Once in the car, Lily fell asleep and used her baseball cap to cover her face. The Martinez family had many rules, including waking up at 8:00 am sharp, which had disrupted her sleep since arriving in Lagersfield. She had always had trouble sleeping and had been relying on medication for years. With no one to disturb her now, she slept peacefully. Loid sat beside her, looking at her. Her face was hidden under the cap. She seemed quite peaceful now that she wasn¡¯t on guard around the Martinez family. When a passing car honked, she squirmed a little. Even though her face was covered, Loid could sense her irritation. ¡°Loid, your fianc¨¦e is quite interesting!¡± Shaun nced at the backseat through the rearview mirror. Seeing Lily asleep, he spoke with a yful tone. ¡°A girl from the countryside who looks like she¡¯s never seen the world but seems to know everything. She didn¡¯t even blink at that two billion dor ne.¡± Shaun clicked his tongue. ¡°Either she¡¯s really na?ve of the world or she¡¯s faking it. I believe it¡¯s thetter.¡± Loid leaned back in his seat. He had an ambiguous look in his eyes. He lifted his long fingers to remove the mask on his face and rested his arm on the car window, tapping it gently. After a long while, his thin lips curved slightly. ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s quite interesting.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± Shaun turned around, propping his hands on the seat. ¡°She said Joseph gave her a rmendation letter for Ember Creek High School. Is that true?¡± Shaun nced at the still-sleeping Lily. ¡°This girl doesn¡¯t look like someone who lies.¡± He had been around many pretentious people, so he had a knack for seeing through them. However, he couldn¡¯t get a read on Lily. He had met Lily twice. Sometimes, she waszy; sometimes, she was cold. She treated people with vastly different attitudes. For example, she was always cold and distant toward the rest of the Martinez family members but noticeably nicer toward Liam. She even smiled at him several times. Yet with Loid, she remained nonchnt. She neither tried to tter him nor ignored him. She acted quite casually. It was the first time Shaun had seen a girl so calm in front of Loid. So, while he couldn¡¯t fully understand Lily, he could tell she disdained lying. Loid frowned, his eyes deep and his expression stern. ¡°Go to Ember Creek High School tomorrow and talk to Joseph.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± As soon as Shaun spoke, Loid suddenly clutched his chest and coughed. His stern face turned pale as his lips turned blue. Daniel mmed on the brakes, urgently pulling out a bottle of medicine from his pocket and shaking out a few pills. ¡°Loid, your medicine.¡± Shaun quickly handed over some water. After taking the medicine, Loid¡¯splexion improved significantly, but he was still breathing heavily. He had not fully recovered. Shaun frowned deeply. ¡°Your attacks are bing more frequent. If this continues, Neil¡¯s medicine might not work. We need to find Shadowbane soon.¡± As soon as Shaun finished speaking, Lily, who had been sleeping with her face covered, suddenly opened her eyes. There was a cold glint in them.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 11

    Shaun¡¯s tone quickly turned into panic. He nced at Lily, and seeing she was still asleep, he let out a sigh of relief. However, his voice was noticeably quieter. ¡°Didn¡¯t we ce an order with Alchos? What did they say?¡± ¡°They rejected us,¡± Loid replied while leaning against the seat. He was in a very bad state. It seemed as if he might pass out at any moment. Shaun frowned, his expression growing serious. ¡°You offered a hundred million dors, and K still wouldn¡¯t take the case?¡± After some thought, he added, ¡°Let¡¯s increase the offer. We have to get Shadowbane to treat your illness no matter what. That¡¯s what¡¯s important. If a hundred million dors isn¡¯t enough, then offer 200 million dors. ¡°If they still refuse, let them name their price. I¡¯ll get the money for you even if it costs everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the money,¡± Daniel said, giving Shaun a serious look. ¡°Alchos simply said K refused to take the order. Alchos would¡¯ve told me directly if it was about the money.¡± ¡°This is troublesome,¡± Shaun said, rubbing his temples in frustration. If it were just about money, there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Loid was a trillionaire. Even if Loid didn¡¯t have enough money, he still had Shaun and Daniel. Shaun couldn¡¯t believe K¡¯s demands could be so high as to require billions of dors. They were merely asking for someone¡¯s contact. Alchos would never allow K to ask for so much. After all, Alchos had never sold information for more than 200 million dors. However, many had paid astronomical sums for Shadowbane¡¯s treatments. The situation would be much trickier if money wasn¡¯t the issue. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± Loid said. He nced at Lily, who was still quietly sleeping beside him. Shaun wanted to say something but decided against it. After all, Lily was present. Even though she couldn¡¯t understand theseplicated matters since she was from the countryside, it was better to be cautious. When the car stopped at the estate, Lily removed the cap covering her face and put it back on her head. She turned her head and was momentarily stunned. Then, she smiled. Rumor had it that Loid¡¯s face was disfigured due to a severe illness, but seeing him now, those rumors were clearly unfounded. At this moment, she could see Loid¡¯s well-defined features. He had a sharp nose, a pair of deep-set eyes, and thin lips. His face was perfectly sculpted. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Loid asked gently when he saw Lily wake up. Lily responded with a casual hum, opened the car door, and nonchntly added, ¡°You¡¯re quite handsome.¡± Loid was taken aback. Was sheplimenting his looks? He had clearly seen the teasing glint in her eyes. Evidently, his appearance didn¡¯t impress her much. Shaun eximed, ¡°Damn! Lily, you¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve seen who can stay so calm after seeing Loid¡¯s face.¡± He was excited as if he had discovered something extraordinary. Lily nced at him with obvious disdain. ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shaun was stunned and wide-eyed, speechless for a moment. Someone actually found him annoying. Loid gave Shaun a nk look. ¡°You¡¯re indeed very annoying.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shaun was bbergasted. He turned to Daniel and asked, ¡°Am I really that annoying?¡± Daniel nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± Shaun¡¯s face turned pale with anger. He was itching to hit someone but unable to do so. He didn¡¯t dare hit Loid. He couldn¡¯t win a fight against Daniel either. As for Lily, he could handle her, but now that she was Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e, he didn¡¯t dare to make a move. Loid led Lily inside. As soon as they entered, Loid took off his coat and then his turtleneck. When he removed his clothes, Lily stared at his body, her cold eyes narrowing with an icy expression. Shaun and Daniel stood beside Lily, watching her reaction. But her expression left them baffled. She barely reacted. They found it hard to believe that she wasn¡¯t scared. Any other girl would probably faint from fright upon seeing Loid¡¯s body. Even Shaun and Daniel had been shocked when they first saw him. While putting on his clothes, Loid was also watching Lily and was surprised by her reaction. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Upon hearing this, Lily lifted her gaze and met Loid¡¯s eyes for a moment before looking away. Azy smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Nice body.¡± There was nothing in this world that could scare her. She was merely studying the tumors on Loid¡¯s body. She didn¡¯t know about his lower body, but his upper body was covered in tumors, some of which were already festering. It was very disgusting. His entire torso looked damaged. Loid had to be mentally strong. Anyone else would have been scared to death by these tumors. All of them were speechless. Shaun seriously wondered if there was something wrong with Lily. She called this horrific sight a nice body. She must have a very different understanding of that word. Loid froze for a moment and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve had a room prepared for you. Get some rest, and I¡¯ll take you for a walk around the areater.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was Lily¡¯s first time in Lagersfield, and she wasn¡¯t familiar with the ce. She should get to know the area since she would be staying for a long time. Daniel offered to carry Lily¡¯s suitcase when heading upstairs, but she refused. She reached the staircase, paused, and then looked back at Loid. ¡°You have at most two months to live. You should take the pill I gave you.¡± With that, Lily turned and went upstairs without looking back. When getting out of the car, Lily had deliberately held Loid¡¯s hand to check his pulse. After seeing his body, she realized that he wasn¡¯t sick; he was poisoned. Only Shadowbane could cure him. The three men downstairs were frozen in ce after hearing Lily¡¯s words. Loid watched Lily¡¯s retreating figure, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. ¡°Loid, I swear I didn¡¯t leak the information about you only having two months left,¡± Daniel said, breaking out in a cold sweat. Shaun quickly added, ¡°Neither did I.¡± The rumor was that Loid had two years to live. In reality, he only had two months. Loid wasn¡¯t merely the eldest son of the Laurier family. Many people¡¯s fates depended on him. If he died, people would take revenge against anyone connected to him. Hence, Loid had them spread the rumor that he had two years left to ensure he could arrange everything in the final two months. But how did Lily know? Loid was supposed to marry Shannon, yet now Lily was the one who married him. What was her purpose? There was a cold glint in Shaun¡¯s eyes. He wouldn¡¯t let anyone who intended to harm Loid go unpunished, even if it was a teenager. Loid looked away, took out the pill Lily had given him, and ordered after a long pause, ¡°Daniel, get some water.¡± His voice was dry, and he clutched the pill tightly. Daniel¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°Loid, you can¡¯t take this! Lily¡¯s identity is questionable. We can¡¯t trust her.¡± Shaun also frowned. ¡°This girl is too strange. We should investigate her first.¡± ¡°Get the water,¡± Loid said again, his expression cold and expressionless. ¡°Loid¡­¡± Daniel tried to persuade him, but a single nce from Loid silenced him. He obediently went to fetch water. Loid didn¡¯t hesitate and swallowed the pill with the water. As soon as the pill was ingested, Loid felt like his body was on fire. Sweat soaked through his clothes instantly. He raised his hand and tore off his clothes. Shaun began to panic. He was about to call for help when he saw Loid¡¯s body, and his eyes widened in shock. ¡°Loid, your body¡­¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter12


    1/1


    Chapter12


    TherumorsonLeid¡¯sbodyweredisappearingataspeedvisibletothenakedeye.Thrergetumorsonhisabdomenvanishepletelywithoutleavingatrace.However,thebestremainedthesame.GivenLoid¡¯scurrentcondition,thedisappearance<b>of</b>justthreetumorswasquiteremarkable.


    Shaunwasstunnedforalongtime beforemakingaphonecall.Hisvoicefilledwithexcitement


    ¡°Gethereimmediately,rightnow!¡±


    Hangregainedhiposure,Daniskedquickly,¡°Loid,doyoufenydifort?¡±


    ¡°Mybreathingismuchsmoother,andmybloodflowisbetter,¡± Loidrepliedwhilelookingtowardthestairs.Hisdeepeyesflickeredwitplexemotions.


    Danselletoutasighofrelief.Althoughthreetumorshaddisappeared,hewasstillworriedthatthepillmightthreaten Loid¡¯slife.Thankfully,Loidseemedfine.


    Twentyminuteter,NeilAustinarrivedwithseveraldoctors.NeilwastheyoungestmedicaldoctorattheMedicalResearchInstitute,specializinginmedicine.Hewasthebestinthecountry.Thedoctorshebroughtalongwerealsotop¨Cter.


    AssoonasNerrived,heinstructedthedoctorstoexamineLoid.AfterlearningaboutLoid¡¯sconditionfromShaun¡¯scall,Neilbroughtvariousdiagnosticmachines.


    Aftepletingallthetestsandwaitingforabouttenminutes,Nelllookedattheresultswithanastonishedexpression.


    Ms.Laumer,someofthetoxinsinyourbody<b>have</b>beeneliminated.¡±


    Shaunaskedexcitedly.¡°Really?<b>Is</b><b>he</b>cured?¡±


    Neilreplied,¡°It¡¯shardtosay.Onlyasmallportionofthe toxinshavebeencleared.Therearestilotoftoxinsinhisbody.Tean¡¯tyetdeterminewhetherthepillcapletelyeradicatethetoxinsorjustprovidetemporaryrelief.¡±


    Afterashortpause,Neilcontinued,¡°Butbasedonthecurrenttestresults,severalofLoid¡¯sdamagedorgansareslowlyrecovering<b>,</b>andhecansurviveforanothersixmonths.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯sfantastic!¡±Shaunroimed,spinningaroundinexcitement.


    TheLaurierfamilyhadtriedeverypossiblemethodandsoughtouteveryfamousdoctorinthecountry,bothmodernandalternative,butnoonecouldcureLoid.


    Unexpectedly,marryingadifferentbridefromtheMartinezfamilyextendedLoid¡¯slifebyfourmonths.Thiswasthebestnewstheyhadheardinthepastsixmonths.


    Withfouradditionalmonths,theyhadmoretimetofindtheelusivedoctor,Shadowbane,andtherewasachanceLoidcouldbesaved.Eveniftheycouldn¡¯tfindShadowbane,NeilwouldhavemoretimetodetermhepoisonaffectingLoid.


    Shaunhadutterlyforgottenthathalfanhourago,hewasthinkingabouthowtodealwithLily.


    ¡°Loid,yourfianc¨¦e<b>is</b><b>a</b>gem!¡±Shaunsaid,grinningwidely


    Loidleanedbackinhischairquietly


    Danielncedtowardthestairs,pursedhislips,andranupstairs.


    ¡°Comeback!¡±Loid¡¯scoldvoiceechoedjust asDanielreachedthestairway.


    Danielpaused,hisexpressionsolemn.¡°Loid,Ihave<b>to</b>save<b>you</b><b>.</b><b>You</b>canpunishmenomatterhowyouwant.¡±


    DanielhadbeenbyLoid¡¯ssidefor<b>many</b>yearsandhadneverdisobeyedhim.Buttoday,he hadtodefyLoid.Withoutwaitingforaresponse,Danielturnedandrushed<b>upstairs</b>.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Loiddidn¡¯ttrytostophimagain.Hehadlongbeenindifferenttolifeanddeath,buthecouldn¡¯tdie<b>just</b>yet.Hisdeathwouldcausetroubleformanypeople.Iftherewasachancetocurehisillness,hehadtotakethatchance


    Loidpursedhislips<b>,</b>staring<b>silently</b>atthetopofthestairs.


    Lilly,havingfinishedpacking,receivedamessagefromDuncan.<b>As</b><b>she</b>wasreplying,someonesuddenlyappearedbeforeherandkneltwithathud.


    ¡°Ms.Brooks,pleasesaveLold.¡±


    Danielgotonhisknees.Hewasn¡¯tashamedtobegagirltenyearsyoungerthanhimself.He<b>was</b>willingtodoanythingaslongashecouldsaveLold.


    Lilyncedathim,thencalmlycontinuedreplyingtohermessage.


    Afteramoment,sheputawayherphone,stood<b>up</b>,<b>and</b>walkedtowardthedoor.¡°Don¡¯teverdothatagain.¡±


    Whenshegotdownstairs,shesawseveralpeopleinwhitecoatsinthelivingroom.One ofthemwasstaringatherintently.

 Chapter 13

    <b>Chapter13</b>


    NeilhadbeenworkingforLoidformanyyears.UponhearingthatthemedicineLoidtookwasgivenbyLily,hebecamequitecuriousabouther.


    Lily<b>only</b>ncedathimbeforelookingawaywithankexpression.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Shepulledupachair,satoppositeLoid,<b>and</b>crossedherlegs.LookingatLoid¡¯sbody,shenoddedslightly.


    ¡°You¡¯requiteobedient.¡±


    <b>Shaun</b>smirked.LilywasthefirsttomakeLoidlisten.


    Loidhadjustfinishedhisbodycheck¨Cup


    ¡°<b>Did</b>youstudymedicine


    ¡°ALole,¡±


    ¡°Lilysaidhumbly.


    pandhadyettoputonhisclothes.Hecasuallypickeduphisclothesandputthemon,histhin<b>lips</b>slightlyparting.


    ¡°Canyoucureme?¡±Loidraisedaneyebrow,andhis


    seemedlikeanunfathomableabyssashestaredatLily,tryingtoreadher


    Afteralongtime,Loidlookedawayinconfusion.It wasthefirsttimehecouldn¡¯treadsomeone¡¯sexpressionLilyconcealeditwell.


    ¡°Yes,¡±Lilyansweredstraightforwardly.


    Everyoneinthecoomheldtheirbreathwhentheyheardheranswer.


    Afterall,it


    ShaunlookedatLilyindisbelief.HehadinitiallythoughtthatthepillLilygavecouldonlysuppressthepoisoninLoid¡¯sbody,notthatshecoulpletelycurehim.AfterNeilcouldn¡¯tcureLoid,howcoulda19¨Cyear¨Coldgirldoit?


    Butnow,shewasimingthatshecouldcureLoid.


    Loidraisedaneyebrow,andhislipscurledintoasmile.¡°Anyconditions?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Gotanybeer?¡±Ellydidn¡¯tanswerhim.Instead,sheleanedbackinherchaizily.


    Loid ncedatDaniel.He immediatelyunderstoodandfetchedafewbottlesofbeerfromthefridge.


    ¡°Helpyourself,Ms.Brooks.¡±


    UponhearingthatLilycouldcureLoid,Danielbegantotreatherlikeshewasroyalty.


    Lilyopenedabottleofbeer,dranktheentirethinginonego,andthenceditaside.Sheopened anotherone,butshedidn¡¯tdownthebeerthistimeandjusttooka<b>sip</b>.


    ¡°Therearenoconditions.<b>¡±</b>


    ThisresponsesurprisedLoid.Shaunwasevenmoreastonished.HehadthoughtLilywouldaskforsomethingdifficult


    ¡°Whyareyouwillingtosaveme?LoidwatchedLilydrinkbeer<b>,</b>seeminglyenjoyingit.Hefeltedrinkingoobutheldback.Hisbodycouldn¡¯thandlealcohol.


    ¡°Why?¡±Lilysuddenlughed.Sheleanedforwardslightlywithonehandrestingonherleg,supportingherchin.¡°Youcan¡¯tdiewithoutmypermission.¡±


    <b>The</b>atmosphereinstantlybecametense.ShaunsubconsciouslyncedatLoid.Thissoundedabitoff.CoulditbethatLilyhadknownLoid<b>for</b>alongtime?Didshe<b>have</b>acrushonhim?Butitdidn¡¯tseemlikeit.HerattitudetowardLoodwasrathercold.Itdidn¡¯tseemlikeshelikedhim.


    tilyignoredeveryone,stoodup,walkedovertoLoid,andpointedtotheloungechair


    ¡°Liedownoverthere.¡±


    Withasmirk,Loidgotupanyontheloungechair.


    Lilyfirsttookhispulse.Suddenly,shenarrowedhereyesandfurrowedherbrows,lookingatLoidinsurprise.Whenshecheckedhispulsebrieflyaftergettingoutofthecar,she<b>hadn¡¯t</b>doneitindetail.


    Nowthatshecheckedcarefully,she<b>found</b>thathisheartwasfine.


    Thesurprisein<b>her</b>eyesdidnotescapeLoid.Heraisedaneyebrow


    ¡°Isthereaproblem?¡±


    Lilyloweredhereyes.Afteramoment,sheasked,¡°Theardyouhadheartsurgerysixmonthsago?Botyourheartisfine.¡±


    Loidnarrowedhiseyes.


    mor<b>.</b>Don¡¯ttakeitseriously.¡±


    Lilygavehimadeeplookbutsaidnothing.Sherolleduphersleeves,revealingasetofsilverneedlesonherarm.Sheretrievedtheneedlebag,slowlytookoutthesilverneedles,andthenbeganinsertingthem.


    ¡°Antitoxinshots?¡±Neileximedassoonas


    asLily insertedaboutadozenneedles,

 Chapter 14

    asLily insertedaboutadozenneedles,


    Chapter14


    NelltookafewstepstowardLily<b>,</b>andhiseyeswidenedindisbelief.


    ¡°Howdidyoudothat?¡±NeillookedatLilywithtremblingexcitement.


    Itwasatechniqueknownasantitoxinshots.


    Thistechniquewasfromanancientbookpasseddownsincethe1600s.OnlyonecopyofthisbookwasstoredintheMedicalResearchInstitute.


    Neilstudiedmodern<b>medicine</b>,buttwoyearsago,hewitnessedBenedictusingacupuncturetosavealittlegirlwhoalmostdiedinacarident.Sincethen,hehadbeendeeplyfascinatedbyacupuncture


    Sixmonthsago,whenLoidwasawayon abusinesstrip,hegotpoisoned.


    Despiteusingthemostadvancedequipment,Neilcouldn¡¯tdetectwhatwasthepoisonButLoid¡¯sconditionwasonlygettingworse.Nidentallylearnedabouttheexistenceofthisancientbook,andafteralongsearch,he foundoutabouttheantitoxinshots.


    Theantitoxinshotscouldexpeltoxinsfromthebodyofsomeonewhohadbeenpoisoned.Ifthepolsoncouldn¡¯tbeidentified,theantitoxinshotscouldalsosuppressthetoxinsinthe patient¡¯s<b>body</b>.


    AlthoughNeilhadlearnedthetheoryoftheantitoxinshots,hecouldn¡¯tperformthetechniquehimself.Thetechniquewas<b>unique</b>andchallengingtomaster.


    Evenafterresearchingitforalongtime,Nellcouldn¡¯tmastertheformationbecausetheacupointsrequiredfortheantitoxinshotswereverydangerous.Anyslightmistakecouldleadtothedeathofthepatient


    ordingtoarenownedacupunctureexpert,onlyonepersonintheworldcouldperformtheantitoxinshots,andthatwasthemiracledoctor,Shadowbane.However,Shadowbane¡¯swhereaboutswereuncertain,andhisentrictemperamentmadehimdifficulttofind


    Butnow,Nellcouldhardlybelievehiseves.


    Hewaswitnessingsomeoneusingtheantitoxinshotsinreallife,anditwasa19¨Cyear¨Coldgirl.


    Itwasunbelievable


    ¡°Bringabucket¡±LilyncedatNeilindifferently.


    Shehadstoppedadministeringthetreatment.


    Neilwasstunnedforafewseconds,thenquicklyregainedhiposure.¡°Oh,<b>okay</b>.¡±


    Hehurriedintothebathroomtofetchabucket.


    Lilyraisedhereyebrowsslightly.¡°Getafewmore.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Huh?¡±Nellcouldn¡¯t understandwhysheneededsomanybuckets.


    ¡°What¡¯sthematter?Lilyraisedhereyebrowsimpatiently.


    Sheneverlikedtorepeatherself.


    ItwasNeil¡¯sfirsttimemeetingLily<b>,</b><b>so</b>hedidn¡¯tquiteunderstandhercharacter,buthefeltLilywasnotsomeobetrifledwith.Hergazewasevenscarier<b>than</b>Loid¡¯sNelldidn¡¯tdaretodyandquicklyfetchedseveralmorebuckets.


    LilytookoutasilverneedleandcalmlysaidtoLoid,¡°You¡¯regoingtovomitblood,alotofit.Bearwithit¡±


    Assoonasherwordsfell,shelightlyliftedherfingerandinsertedaneedleintohisabdomen.


    AssoonasherneedlepiercedLold¡¯sabdomen,hespatoutamouthfulof<b>blood</b>


    Nell,Shaun,<b>and</b>Danielwerestartled.


    TheyallheardLily¡¯swarningthat Loidwouldwomitalotof<b>blood</b><b>.</b>


    Ittooktherefullbucketsbeforehestopped.


    ShaunwasworriedthatLoadmighthavevomitedsomuchbloodthathewoulddiefromit.


    Butsurprisingly,Loid¡¯plexiongraduallyimproved.


    Althoughthepoisoninhisbodyhadnotspreadtohisface,itwascloseNellhadmentionedthatonceLoid¡¯sfacestartedtogrowtumors,itmeantthatthepoisonhadcorrodedallhisorgans.Thatwouldbeanindicatorthathewasrunningoutoftime.


    SoeventhoughLoid¡¯sfacewasn¡¯taffected,healwayslookedsicklyandhadapalplexion.Now,colorslowlyreturnedtohisface,andhelookedmuchbetter.


    Andthetumorson<b>his</b>bodyweredisappearingataveryfastrate.


    Withintwominutes<b>,</b>allthetumorsonhisupperbodywerepone

 Chapter 15

    Chapter<b>15</b>


    1/1


    Shaun,Neil,andDanielweresoastonishedthattheyweres


    speechless,


    Thiswassimplytoomiraculous.AftermonthsofeffortbyeveryoneattheMedicalResearchInstitute,theyhadn¡¯tbeenabletogetridofasingletumorfromLoid¡¯s body.Yet,19¨Cyear¨Coldgirl<b>had</b>madethemdisappearwithjustafewneedles.


    Loid¡¯slowerbodywasalsocoveredintumors,butsinceLilywasthereandtheyweren¡¯tyetmarried,itwouldbeinappropriateforhertotake<b>a</b>look


    <b>While</b>Shanwasstillhesitatingwhether<b>to</b><b>ask</b>Loidtomovetothebedroomforaninspection,Lilyorderedcalmly.<b>¡°</b>Takeoffyourpants¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    LoidandShaunwereshocked.Howcouldshebesobold?


    EventhoughLoidwasher<b>fianc¨¦</b>,shewasonly10 wordgotout,herreputationwouldberuined.


    Lilysizedhimupandteased,¡°What?Feelingshy?¡±


    Loidclearedhisthroat,andafaintblushcrossedhishandsomeface.Stillwithneedlesinhisbody,helookeduptoseetheteasinglookinthegirl¡¯seyes.Loidfeltsomewhathelpless.Afteramomentofsilence,Loidstoodupandquicklytookoffhispants,leavingonlyhisunderwear.


    Initially,Lilywasquitecalm,butherexpressionalteredwhenoldtookoffhispants.Sheregainedheposure,nced atLold¡¯slegs,andnodded.¡°Notbad.¡±


    Thetumorsonhisbodyhaddisappearedentirely,butsincetheyhadbeenthereforsixmonths<b>,</b>thereweremanyscarsleftbehind.Lilyturnedaroundandwalkedtothefewbucketsfilledwithblood.Meanwhile,Loidstifflypethispantsbackon.


    this


    Callingitbloodwasquiteunfitting;itwasmorelikeink.Loidhadvomitedoutthreebucketsofpitch¨Cckliquidthatemittedafoulstench.Itquicklypermeatedtheentireroom.Shaunandtheotherscouldn¡¯tholdbackandrushedtothebathroomtovomit.


    Whentheyreturned,Lilywasstillsquattingdown,carefullyexaminingthebucketsofblood.Herexpressionremainedcalm,exceptforasionallyfurrowingherbrows.


    Shaun¡¯sandDaniel¡¯sfacesturnedredinaninstant.ItwasembarrassingthattheythrewupwhileLily,ayoundy,didn¡¯tmindthesmell.


    Afterawhile,Lilystoodup.¡°Thepolsonyouwereinfectedwithhas<b>a</b>rathernicename.It¡¯scalledBloodbane.¡±


    Shaungrimaced¨CApoisonwithsuch<b>a</b>prettyname.


    ¡°IsLoipletelycured?¡±Shaunaskedoutofconcern


    ¡°He¡¯shalfcured,¡±Lilysaid,standingupwhileremovingtheneedlesfromLoid¡¯sbody.


    Shan¡¯sexpressionstiffened.Whatdidthemeanby¡®baltcured?


    LilyncedatCold¡°Youhaveonemoreyeartolive¡±


    OneyearwasenoughforhertoinvestigatewhathappenedtoJason¡¯sheart


    ¡°Didn¡¯tyoujustsayyoucouldcarehim?¡±Shaunwasanxious.¡°Whyonlyonemoreyear?¡±


    Althoughanadditionalyeartolivewasgoodnews,whycontinuetosufferfromthepoisonifLoldcouldbecured?


    Lilyremoved<b>the</b>needles,slowlyputthem away,andlookedatLoldcalmly,¡°<b>Your</b>lifeisinmyhandsfornow,<b>for</b>a<b>year</b>.¡±


    Withthat,sheheadedupstairswithoutlookingback.


    Shaenwantedtostopher,butthelookfromLoidmadehimstop.


    Suddenly,Lilystoppedinhertracksasifsherecalledsomething


    ¡°Thinkaboutwhoyou¡¯veoffended.Thisisn¡¯tthekindofpoisonthat¡¯seasilyacquired<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Shelookedt


    dupwith<b>cold</b>eyes


    ¡°You¡¯dbetterkeep yourselfalive.Youcanonlydiewithmyconsent¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter16


    Chapter16


    Lilywentupstairsandtookoutherphone,whichhadbeenturnedoffforafewdays.Assoonassheturnediton,acallcamethrough


    ¡°Finally,youansweredthephone!Alchosisalmostundersiege!¡±Thevoiceontheotherendwasveryagitated.


    IfLoidandtheotherswere<b>around</b>,theywouldrecognizethatthecallerwasElliotQuade<b>,</b>thedirectorofAlchos.


    Lilymovedthephoneawayfromherearwithafrown.¡°Sendmethedetailsonthepersonwhoofferedahundredmilliondorsforshadowbansttime.¡±


    Elliotwasstunnedforamoment.Hehadexpectedhertobefurious,butshewasquitecalm.


    Afteramomentofsilence<b>,</b>heasked,¡°Areyouwillingtotakethejob?¡±


    Lilypulledoutachairandsatdown.Sherestedherheadonher<b>hand</b>,feelingdefeated.ShehadnnedtotakeayearofftofocusoninvestigatingJason¡¯saffairs.


    Sighing,shesaid,¡°Yes.¡±


    Afterapause,sheadded,¡°I¡¯lltake<b>one</b>jobamonth.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡±Elhotfinallybreathedasighofrelief,histonebingcheerful¡°Tilsendyoutheinformationrightaway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mhanging<b>up</b>.¡±


    Elliotwasquick.WhenLilyhungup,shereceivedamessageonherphone.Sheopenedtheinformationandnarrowedher eyes.ItwasindeedLoid.


    Atthetune,shehadn¡¯tconnectedittoLoid.ManypeoplesoughtoutShadowbaneeveryyear,andshewouldn¡¯tepteveryjob.


    Generally,shetookonjobswhenshewasinagoodmood.ThedayElliotcalled,shewasn¡¯tinagoodmoodanddidn¡¯tbotheraskingwhocedtheorder.ItwasonlyafterhearingShaun¡¯sconversationinthecarthatsherealizeditwasLoid.


    Lilydrummedthetableslowly,wonderingifsheshouldreimthehundredmilliondors.Hereyesgleamedasshegotupandturnedonheptop.Herfingersmovedswiftlyoverthekeyboard,andlinesofcodeappearedonthescreen.


    AfterLilywent upstairs,ShaunturnedtoLoid.¡°Loid,doyouhaveagrudgeagainstthatgirl?<b>Or</b>doesshehavefeelingsforyou?¡±


    Loidleanedbackonthecouchwithastraightfaceandhiseyeshalf¨Ccloseditmadepeoplewanttokeeptheirdistance.Helitacigaretteand slowlyexhaledaringofsmoke.¡°Whatdoyouthink?


    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b><b>don¡¯t</b>get iteither.Ifshehasfeelingsforyou,sheclearlywould¡¯vecuredyou,butshe¡¯skeepingyouhangingbyathread,¡±Shaunsaid,downing<b>a</b>ssofwater.


    ¡°Butshewouldn¡¯tsaveyouifshehadagrudgeagainstyou.Ireallycan¡¯tfigureherout.Andisn¡¯tshejustagirlfromthecountryside?Shegrewupwithoutherparentsandonlyagrandmother.Howdoessheknowsuchadvancedmedicaltechniques?Andshe¡¯sgoodatthem.¡±


    ShehadtobeveryskilledinmedicocuretheBloodbanepolson,


    Shaunstrokedhischin,hismindracing.


    ¡°Neilsaidsheusedsomethingcalledtheantitoxinshots.Apparently,thetechniqueisfromanancientbook.Howcouldshehavereadsuch<b>a</b>valuablebook?


    Nellwasn¡¯thappytohearthat.HeimmediatelydefendedLily


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>don¡¯tunderstand.Therearemanytalentedpeopleoutthere.Justbecausethebookiskeptbythestatedoesn¡¯tmeannooneelsehasseenit.Maybesomeexperienceddoctortaughther.¡±


    Loldshiftedsightly,flickingtheashfromhiscigarette.<b>He</b>lookedatNeil.


    ¡°YousaidonlyShadowbaneknowshowtousetheantitoxinshots?


    Neilppedthetableandstoodupexcitedly,¡°Yes!HowdidInotthinkofthat?She Iowshowtousetheantitoxinshots,andonlyShadowbanecanuseit.MaybeShadowbaught her.¡±


    Neilpacedaround,hisfacefilledwith excitement<b>.</b>¡°<b>She¡¯s</b>shadowbane¡¯sapprentice.Thatmustbeit.That¡¯stheonlywaytoexin?L¡°


    Hearingthis,Lold,shaun,<b>and</b>Danielfellintodeepthought


    Itwashardtobelievea19¨Cyear¨Coldgirlcouldhavesuchadvancedmedicalskills.ButifsheknewShadowbane¡¯ssignaturetechnique,itmadesensethatshewasShadowbane¡¯s


    apprentice.


    Afteralongwhile,Shaunpursedhislipsandasked,¡°So,doesthismeanLoidoffendedShadowbane?IsthatwhyAlchossaidtheywouldn¡¯ttakethejob?Itwasn¡¯tthatrefusedbutShadowbane?¡±


    Laldbookedup<b>at</b>Shaunasitdeepinthought.


    Justthen<b>,</b><b>a</b>piercingrmsounded.Danieljumpedup,lookedatLoid,andthensprintedupstairs.Hequicklycamebackdownwhileholdinga<bptop</b>.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Heopened thptopandcheckedit.Hisexpressionturnedgrave.


    ¡°Loid,youptophasbeenhacked¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter17


    Loldsatupabruptly,hisdeepeyesfilledwithcaution.


    ¡°Whodidit?¡±


    Danielshookhishead.¡°Theyerasedalltraces.¡±


    Loidstoodupwithhishandsinhispockets.Hisexpressionwascoldasheasked,¡°Whatdid<b>they</b><b>do</b>?¡±


    ¡°Theintruderseemedtonoticeyouptophad<b>an</b><b>rm</b>system.Theyquicklyerasedtheirtracksassoonastheygotin.Theydidn¡¯thavetime<b>to</b>gettothefiles.¡±


    Shaunstoodup,pacingback<b>and</b>forth,hisexpressionextremelygrave.


    ¡°<b>Could</b>itbethepeoplewhopoisonedyou?Aretheytryingtodestroyevidence


    Loid narrowed hiseyesandordered,¡°StrengthenthefirewandspreadthenewsthatI¡¯vebeensaved.


    Upstairs,Lilyturnedoffheptopandcursed,¡°Damnit!¡±


    Shehadsensedsomethingwasoffassoon<b>as</b>shegotthedonationagreementfromthehospital.


    WhenshecheckedLoud¡¯spulseearlier,shefoundnoissuewithhisheart,


    Shewasn¡¯tgoingtofoolishlyaskLoidsincehemightnoteventellherthetruth.


    ThisinvolvedJason,soshehadtoinvestigateitpersonally


    However,shedidn¡¯texpectthermtogooffassoonasshehackedintoLoid¡¯ptop.


    Shehadtoerasehertracksandshutdownthptop.


    Intheafternoon,Shaun,Neil,andDanielhadallleft.OnlyLoldandLilywereleftinthehouse.


    Loid¡¯spersonal chefpreparedhismeal.HeusedapairofextracutlerytoserveLilythefoodand<b>said</b>gently,¡°I¡¯mnotusedtohavinghelpersaround.Normally,thechefpreparesthemealsanddeliversthem


    ¡°Ifyou¡¯renofortablewiththisarrangement,Icancallinacoupleofmaidstomorrowtotakecareofyourdailyneeds.¡±


    LilylookedupatLoidandsaidindifferently,¡°Bloodbanepoisonisn¡¯tcontagious.¡±


    Leidpausedforamomentandthensmiled.¡°Alright.¡±


    ram


    ¡°There¡¯snoneedformaids.I¡¯mnotused<b>to</b>havingthemaround¡±Lilywasustomedtolivingaloneanddidn¡¯tlikehavingpeoplearound.


    LoidpouredtwossesofwaterandhandedoLily.


    Lilydidn¡¯ttakeit.¡°Doyouhavebeer?¡±


    Loidtappedthetable,andhestayedsilentforsometime.Hethen gotupandfetchedabottleofbeerforLily.¡°Drinkalittleless.¡±


    Lily<b>shot</b>him<b>a</b>lookthatclearlysaid,¡°<b>Mind</b>yourownbusiness.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Lold¡¯sexpressionshiftedslightly,buthesaidnothingmore.


    Lilyhadabitofatemper.Itwasbesttoletherbe.


    Whiletheywereeating,thevideointeatthedoorrang.Loidansweredit,andthesecurityguardappearedonthescreen.


    ¡°Mr.Laurier<b>,</b>agirlisheretoseeyou.Shesaysshe¡¯syour<b>fianc¨¦e¡¯s</b>sister.¡±


    Manypeopleinthisresidentireawereimportantpeople,sosecuritywastight.Nostrangercouldenterwithoutthehost¡¯spermission.


    LoldturnedtonceatLilyandsaid,¡°Letherin.¡±


    Not<b>long</b>after,Shannonarrived.


    Loidintentionallydid<b>not</b>wearhismask


    Shannoncarriedabunchofgiftsandfoodshebroughtfromhome.


    AssoonassheenteredandsawLoid¡¯sface,shefrozeince.


    Whatwasgoingon?

 Chapter 18

    Chapter18


    Wasn¡¯tLoidsupposedtobedisfiguredduetoasevereillness?


    Thiswasfarfrombeingdisfiguredonthecontrary,Loidwasdevastatinglygood<b>¨C</b>looking


    Shannoncouldbarelybreathe.


    Whathadshedone?


    HowcouldshehaveconcededsuchahandsomemantoLib?


    ¡°Doyouneedsomething,Ms. Martinez?¡±Loidgaveheranimpassivence beforelookingaway.Hebarelyevenlookedather.Hisexpressionhadn¡¯tchangedatall.


    Shannonsnappedbackto<b>her</b>sensesandsaidhastily,¡°Mymother¡¯sworriedthatLilywouldn¡¯tbeabletogetusedtolivingherealone,Lold,soI¡¯mheretohelphermovein.¡±ShencedfurtivelyatLoid¡¯sfaceasherheartpounded.


    Hewassohandsome¨Cjusthowshe¡¯dimaginedheridealfuturespousewouldlook.


    Loidhummedcatly,thencontinuedwithhismeal,noringher


    HeservedLilyabowlofsoup


    Lilylookedtoothin.Hefiguredsheneededmoreheartymeals.


    shannonwasfuriousasshewatchedLoidtreatingLilykindly.Sheclenchedherfistsandgrittedherteeth.


    Thiscouldnotbehappening.


    Loidwashers.Sheneededtogethimback.


    withthatthought,shewentuptoLilyandsaidsweetly,¡°Lily,Momboughtyousomenewclothesandmakeupsupplies.I¡¯llbringthemtoyourroomforyou,okay?¡±


    Lilyputdownherfork.SheperchedoneofherlegsonthechairbesideherandstaredatShannonwithasmirk.¡°Sure.¡±


    Shepointedtowardthestairs.¡°Bringthemupyourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±ShannonstaredatLilyindisbelief.


    Didshereallytellhertobringthethingsup herself?Whatdidshemeanbythat?WasLilytreatingherlikeamaid?


    ¡°Youdon¡¯twantto?Lilypickedupthebottleofbeercasually.Herotheranwascedidlyonherperchedleg.


    IttookShannonallotherstrengthtosuppressherrage.¡°Momboughtalotofthings.Idon¡¯tthinkI¡¯llbeabletobring themallinone go.Canyouhelpme,Lily?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯tyouheretohelpme?Whyisittheotherwayroundnow?Lilyscofledrudely


    ¡°No,that¡¯snotwhatImeant.I¡¯mjustworriedthatIwouldputthingsinthewrongces.I¡¯mnottoofarwithyourpreferences,¡±Shannonsaid.Somethingshedthroughbereyes,whichshequicklyconcealed


    ¡°Ah,¡±Lilydraggedoutthesyble.¡°Sorry,I¡¯mjustapoorcountryg


    thanks.¡±


    tapoorcountrygirl, soI¡¯mnottoosurehowyouupperssdothings.Justcethethingsinmyroomhoweveryoulike,


    Loidlookedu


    dupatthis.Hehadasmallsmileonhisface.


    Lilywassmart.Shemanagedtodealwithherhalf¨Csistereasilywithouthavingtoresortto drasticmeasures,


    Shannonwasfurious,butshecouldn¡¯tdoanythinginLoid¡¯spresence.Sheneededtoleaveagood impressiononhimifshewantedtohaveachancewithhim.ShedidnotarguefurtherandbroughtthethingstoLily¡¯sroomherself.


    AllshecouldthinkofatthemomentwasLoid,soshedidn¡¯tbotherunpackingtheclothes,shejustdumpedthebagsonLily¡¯sbedandwentbackdownstairs.


    Meanwhile,LoidsmiledashewatchedShannondisappearupthestairs.¡°Youdon¡¯tlikeher?¡±


    Ully<b>finished</b>herbeerandopenedasecondbottle.¡°Yeah,¡±shesaidwithawickedsmile.


    Loldstooduptotossheremptybottleintothetrashcan.Then,he<b>sat</b>backdownatthetable.¡°Whenare<b>you</b>goingbacktoschool?¡±


    HehadbeennningtogetShauntocheckinonJosephforhim,butevenifJosephdidnotwritearmendationletterforLily,hecouldstillgetLilyintoEmberCreekHighSchoolwithbisconnections.In<b>short</b>,therewas<b>no</b>needtobotherJosephstall.


    IfLilysaidshehadarmendationletter,thenLoldwouldmakesureshehadone.Whatthe<b>Martinez</b>familythoughtof<b>as</b>adisgracetotheirfamilywasreallyanincredibleassettotheworld.


    LilywasShadowbane¡¯sstudent.JustthatidentitywasenoughformostpeopletogetontotheirkneestobegLilyforhelp


    ¨CChucker19All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter19All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    NottomentionLily¡¯s<b>m</b>


    ¡®smedicalskills,ifshewanted,shecouldearnmillionswithoutaproblem.


    171


    Lily¡¯sphonerangwithatextmessagenotification.Shepickedit<b>up</b>andncedatit.<b>While</b>replying,sheansweredLold¡¯squestion,¡°<b>Monday</b>¡±


    ¡°EmberCreekHighSchoolisn¡¯tassimpleasitlooks.Becareful.¡±LaidwassomewhatcurioustoseehowthisdefiantgirlwouldfareatEmberCreekHighSchool.Itseemedhewouldneedtoarrangesomeoprotectherinsecret.


    ¡°Gotit¡±Lilyleanedbackinherchair,finishingherbeerinonegulp..


    ShannoncamedownstairsandsawtheharmoniousscenebetweenLoidandLily,herresentmentgrowingdeeper.ShethoughtthatLoidwasabrutalperson,sowhywashebeingsokindtoLily?


    Afterhesitatingforamoment,ShannonhidthecoldnessinhereyesandwalkedovertoLoid.Shesaidsoftly,¡°Mr.Laurter,mysisterdoesn¡¯tknowanyonehere.CanI staywithherforawhileuntilshegetsusedtoit?ThenI¡¯llmovecut¡±


    ¡±


    ShannoncameheretodayonJulia¡¯sorders.JuliainstructedhertousethepretextofhelpingLilygetacquaintedwithLoidsothathecouldgettoknowher.Afterall,theyhadonlymetonce,attheengagementpartyforLoidandLily.Theybarelymanagedtoconnectwitheachother.


    JuliathoughtthatLoidonlyagreedtomarryLilybasedonherlooks.SinceLoldinitiallywantedtomarryShannon,aslongasshebehavedsensiblyandwell,LoidmightpreferShannonmore.Afterall,shewasthereal daughteroftheMartinezfamily,farsuperiortothatcountrybumpkin


    However,Juliadidn¡¯tintendforShannontostayatLaurierResidence.ShewantedShannontoshowupandhaveabriefconversationwithLoidbeforeleavingsothatLoidmightdevelopasenseofattachment.


    ButShannoncouldn¡¯tresist.Shehadtostay.Shecouldn¡¯tletanypotentialfeelingsbetweenLoidand<b>Lily</b>develop


    ToldraisedaneyebrowandlookedatLily.¡°Areyounotusedtobere?¡±


    ¡°Notreally.¡±Lilysmiled<b>yfully</b>.Sheimmediately<b>saw</b>throughShannon¡¯sintentionsbutcouldn¡¯tbebotheredtocare.AslongasShannondidn¡¯tinterferewithherns,shedidn¡¯t<b>mind</b>whatshedid.


    ¡°So,shouldshestay?¡±LoidwassomewhatsurprisedbyLily¡¯sreaction.ShehadseenthroughShannon¡¯sintentionsbutstillwentalongwithher.Hefounditquiteinteresting¡°Sure.¡±Lilystoodup,notbotheringwiththedishesonthetable.Shewentstraightupstairs.


    AsshepassedShannon,shestoppedandtiltedherheadtolookather.¡°Seemslikethere¡¯snodriverhere.¡±¡±


    ItwasclearthatLilywasimplyingthatShannonwouldhavetofindherownwaytoschool.Thiswasthesuburbs.Itwasatleastanhourandahalf¡¯sdrivetoEmberCreekHighSchool


    TheMartinezfamilyonlyhadonedriver,whousuallytookLiamtoworkandShannontoschool.Now,theywouldneedtohireanotherdriver.


    Shannon¡¯sexpressionfell,butshegrittedherteeth<b>and</b>asked,¡°Isn¡¯tDadpullingstringstogetyouintoEmberCreekHighSchool?Wecangotoschooltogether.¡±


    ¡°Me¡±LilysmiledandpointedatLoid.¡°He¡¯stalkingme.¡±


    Shannonwass


    speechless


    Loidsuddenlyguwed.Ashisfianc¨¦e,itwasonlynaturalforhimtotakeLilytoschool.HewasnotobligatedtotakeShannon.Shewouldn¡¯tdareaskhimtotakehereither.LoidfollowedLilyupstairs,ncingatthedishesonthetable.


    ¡°Ms.Martinez,therearenomaidshere,soI¡¯llleavethistoyou.¡±


    Shannonwas soangrythattearswelledupinhereyes.Shewantedtosaysomething,butLoidhadalreadytakenLily¡¯shandandgoneupstairs.


    Shannon¡¯sfingersclenchedintofistsasshewatchedtheirintimateinteraction.Herdelicatefeaturestwistedwithrage.


    Chapter20

 Chapter 20

    Chapter20


    The nextmorning,theshrillsound ofthedoorbellwoleLily,Irritated,shekickedoffhernket,lookinglikeshewasreadytopick afight.WhenLilywentdownstairs,Loid<b>had</b>alreadyopenedthedoor.Shepaused,surprisedbythesight.


    Itwasastunningwomanwithperfectmakeupandawlessfigure.Shecarriedherselfwithelegance.


    ThewomanimmediatelynoticedLilystandingbehindLoidandquicklyapproached,grabbingLily¡¯shand.


    Abrightsmileappearedonherexquisiteface.¡°Oh,thismustbemydaughter¨Cinw?You¡¯reevenmorebeautifulinpersonthaninthephotos.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡±Lily,caughtoffguard,greetedthewomanpolitely.Shereinedinherusual<b>roguish</b>demeanorreinedinAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ThewomanwasLoid¡¯smother,MnieJensenLilyhadseenherphotowhileresearchingLoid.


    ¡°Good¡±MnieseemedverypleasedwithLily.She<b>held</b>Lily¡¯shandandguidedhertothecouch,hersmileunwavering.¡°WecouldnLattendyourengagementbecauseLoid¡¯sfatherandIwerebusy.Ihopeyoudon¡¯tmind.¡±


    ¡°Notatall.¡±Lilyrepliedcalmly.


    ¡°We¡¯llbestayinginLagersfieldforawhile.I¡¯llfindtimetoinvite youandyourfamilyforameal,¡±Mniesaid,increasinglysatisfiedwithLily.


    Loidsatnearbypletelyignoredbyhismother.


    ¡°It¡¯sfine,¡±Lilyresponded,annoyedatthethoughtofmeetingtheMartinezfamily.


    ¡°Iinsist.¡±MniepattedLily¡¯s<b>hand</b>.


    ¡°Loidtoldmethathewassupposedtomarryyourstepfather¡¯sdaughter,butshe¡¯sunderage,sotheychoseyou.Iunderstanditmustbehardforyou.Beingthestepdaughterofawealthyfamilyisn¡¯teasy.


    ¡°Nowthatyou¡¯remarriedtoLoid,we¡¯lltreatyouwell,andtheMartinezfamilywillnaturallytreatyouwelltoo.¡±


    Mniehadasimplethought.Lilywastheirdaughter¨Cinw,andnoonewasallowedtomistreather.MeluciewantedtoensureLilyhadstrongsupportsothattheMartinezfamilywouldn¡¯tdaremesswithher.


    Mniesmiledandcontinued,¡°Invitingthemtodinneristoshowthemthatwe¡¯reverypleasedwithyouasourdaughter¨Cinw.Youshouldn¡¯tfeelstressedout.Justcontinueasyouwerebefore.<b>¡±</b>


    Onthedayoftheirengagement,MnieandLold¡¯sfathercouldn¡¯tattend,buttheyaskedLoidfordetailsandphotos ofLilyMniewasn¡¯toverlyconcernedaboutLily¡¯sfamilybackground.Besides,shedidhavesomeselfishreasonsforthearrangedmarriage.


    Lald¡¯sconditionwasgettingworse.Heonlyhadtwomonthslefttolive,sogettinghimmarriedwasmeanttobringhimjoyandtoensurehewasn¡¯talone.


    Mniewasn¡¯tangrywhenshelearnedthattheMartinezfamilyrefusedtomarryShannonandinsteadsentthestepdaughter.Instead,shewasdeterminedtotreatthisgirlwell.Onceawomanwasengaged,theirreputationwouldtakeahit.So,Mniewasgratefulthat LilyagreedtomarryLoid.


    SeeingLilyinpersonmadeMnieevenmoresatisfiedEvenifLoid passedaway,shevowedtoprotectLily.


    Shannon,whohadjusedownstairs,overheardthis,andherfacetwistedinrage.WhatwassospeciboutLily?WhydidMnielikehersomuchontheirfirstmeeting?TherehadtobesomethingwrongwiththeLaurier<b>family</b>tobethiscrudecountrygirl


    Shannonclenchedherfists,hersharpnailsdiggingintoherarms.Theynearlybroketheskin.Afteramoment,shetookadeepbreathandslowlyapproachedMnie.


    ¡°Hello,Mrs.Laurier.¡±shannonhaddresseduptoday.Lastnight,afterdecidingtostay,shecalledSusantobringoversomeofherfavoriteclothes.


    Shewaswearingayellowdress,andherhairwasstyledintwopigtails.Shealsohadlightmakeuponherface.Shepresentedherselfasana?veand innocentgirlMnielookedupatShannonwithapuzzledexpression.


    ¡°AreyouShannon?

 Chapter 21

    Chapter21


    WhentheLaurierfamilydecidedtosetupanarrangedmarriagewiththeMartinezfamily,MniehadalreadyinvestigatedtheMartinezfamily¡¯sbackground.ShehadseenphotosofeverymemberandrecognizedShannonimmediately.


    ¡°Yes,¡±Shannon saidsweetlywithawell¨Cbehavedsmile.


    ¡°Whyareyouhere?¡±Mniewasustomedtodealingwithallkindsofpeopleandimmediatelysawthroughshannon¡¯spretense.Herexpressiondarkened.


    Shannonlowered herheadshyly.


    ¡°LilyjustarrivedatLagersfield,soI¡¯mheretokeephepanyforawhileuntilshegetssettled.¡±


    ThoughShannontriedherbesttoappearmeek,Mniewasstinnoyedbyher.


    ¡°Thisisn¡¯t appropriate,isit?¡±MniereleasedLily¡¯shandandsatupstraight.


    Herfriendlydemeanorwasgone,recedbytheauthoritativepresenceofanaffluentwoman.


    ¡°Shannon,youweretheonewhowassupposedtomarryLeid.ButsinceyourfamilysentLilyinsteadandthey¡¯renowengaged,it¡¯sinappropriateforyoutostayhere.Peoplewhoknowthesituationunderstandyou¡¯rehersister,butthosewhodon¡¯tmightthinkLilystoleyourfianc¨¦.¡±


    Mniespokewithasharpgaze.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    LoidlookedupatMnieandsmiled.Hismotherwasimpressive.Hehadn¡¯tsaidaword,andshewasalreadydefendingLily.HewascuriousaboutwhyhismotherlikedLilysomuchontheirfirstmeeting.


    ¡°Mrs.Laurier,Lilywastheonewhoaskedmetostay,¡±Shannonsaid,tearswellingupinhereyes.Shelookedveryaggrieved.


    Inside,however,shehatedLilyevenmore.WhatwassospeciboutthiswretchedgirlthatMniewoulddefendher?


    ShannonthoughtthissituationonlymadehermoredeterminedtowinLoidover<b>.</b><b>Since</b>Mniewaswillingtodefendthiscountrybumpkin,itmeantthatMniewasareasonablepersonandwouldn¡¯tmakethingsdifficultforher.


    IfShannoncouldmarryintotheLaurierfamily,shewouldbecherished.


    MniencedatShannon,herexpressioncold.


    ¡°Yoursisterisjusttookindtorefuseyou.Shewasn¡¯t raisedinyourfamilyandjustgotengaged.Shecouldn¡¯tpossiblyturnyoudown.¡±


    Lily,whohadbeenloungingonthe side,ncedup.Shewasalittlesurprised.Noonehadeverspokenupforherotherthanhergrandmother.Usually,peoplewouldjustcriticizeher<b>for</b>beingpoorlyraisedwhenevershecausedtrouble.


    Butnow,someonewasdefendingherwithoutevenknowingthefullstory.Shefeltabumpinherthroat.Takingadeepbreath,shelookeddown


    ¡°L¡±Shannondidn¡¯texpectMnietobeso<b>blunt</b>andwasatalossforwords.Afteramoment,shelookedatLilywithtearsinhereyes.


    <b>¡°</b>Lily¡±


    ¡°Stopbeggingher.She¡¯stoosoft¨Chearted,¡±Mniesaid.ShencedatLily,whowascasuallyyingwithherphoneonthecouch


    Mnie¡¯sfondnessforLilygrew.ShelikedLily¡¯srxed andunpretentiousdemeanor.ThedifferencebetweenLilyandShannonwasnightandday.Lilyoutshone Shannonbymiles.


    Mniesaidcoldly,¡°Packupyourthingsandgohome.LilyisengagedtoLoid,andshe¡¯smydaughter¨Cinw. I¡¯llhelpheradapttolifehere.Youdon¡¯tneedtoworry.¡±


    Shannon¡¯sintentionsweresoobviousthatMniewouldn¡¯tallowhertostayanddisruptLoidandLily¡¯srtionship.


    ¡°Mrs.Laurier,1.¡±Shannonbitherlip.Sheclutchedherclothesrightlyastearswelled<b>up</b>inhereyes.


    ShelookedatLilyandpleaded,¡°Lily,Momtoldmetotakecareofyou.Iwon¡¯tbeabletogivehera properexnationifIgobacknow.¡±


    Lilyhadbeenengrossedinherphheentiretime.WhenShannoncalledher,shelookedupandgaveamischievoussmile.¡°<b>Yeah</b>.Whynotletherstay?¡±


    MniewasabouttoprotestwhenLilyadded,¡°<b>Since</b>weneedamaidhere.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter22


    =


    Assoonasthewordsfell,Loidalmosughedoutloud.Hiseyeslitupwithamusement.


    Mniealsoremainedstunnedforawhile,thenshesmiledandsaid,¡°Alrightthen,we¡¯llletherstay


    ShannenlookedatLilyinrage.Shealmostlostcontrndnearlycursed.ShewasadignifiedelitefromtheMartinezfamily.Howdaretheytreatherlikeamaid?


    Shannonlooked<b>down</b>,andtherewasamaliciousglintinhereyes,butshestillmaintained<b>a</b>smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯tworry,Mrs.LaurierI¡¯lldefinitelytakegoodcareofMr.LaurierandLily.¡±


    Mnieignoredher.ItwasonlyatthismomentthatsherememberedLoid.Sheturnedtolookathimandcouldn¡¯thelpbuteximatthesight.


    ¡°oh,Loid,yourbody.You¡¯recured?¡±MniewantedtoaskaboutthetumorsbutthoughtotherwisesinceLilyandShannonwerepresent


    Loidwasspeechless.Heraisedhishandandnced<b>at</b>hiswatch.Mniehadbeenhereforhalfanhourandonlyrememberedtopayhimattentionnow.


    ¡°Mhm,¡±Loidrepliedindifferently.Assoonasheanswered,<b>Shannon</b>widenedhereyes.Whatdidthatmean?WasLoid¡¯sdiseasecured?Didthatmeanhewouldn¡¯tdie?


    Shannon<b>was</b>abouttogomad.Shewassofrustratedbyherfoolishness.


    ¡°Really?¡±Mniestoodupinexcitement.¡°Let¡¯sgoupstairs.¡±


    Shewantedtofindoutwhatwasgoingon.TheyhadputalotofeffortintocuringColdbuttonoavail.Howdidhe<b>suddenly</b>getbetter?


    Loiddidn¡¯tsayanythingandfollowedMnieupstairs.Aftertheywentupstairs,Shannonwithdrewhersmilingfaceand<b>red</b>atLilywithmalice.


    Shespat,¡°Whodoyouthinkyouare?Howdareyouordermearound?Don¡¯tforget,you¡¯rejustabastardchildthatMomgaveup.Don¡¯tthinkyoucansteponmebecauseyou¡¯reengagedtoLoid¡±


    ¡°Sowhat?¡±Lilzilyleanedbackonthecouchandtiltedherheadback.Witharaisedeyebrow,shelookedatShannonwithamockinggaze.


    ¡°Grandmasaidyoudon¡¯tneedtomarryintotheLaurierfamilyanymore.YoushouldtellLoidtocanceltheengagement.¡±


    Shannongrittedherteeth,herfacefilledwithhatred.


    Shealmostlosthermind.Shehadtheperfectfianc¨¦butgavehimupbecauseshebelievedthegroundlessrumors.ShebelievedthatLoidwasn¡¯tcuredbecausehewasneversickinthefirstce.Itwasall<b>a</b>testfortheMartinezfamily


    However,theMartinezfamilyfailedthetest,andsodidshe.ShehandedoverLoidonasilverttertoLily.Shefeltlikeshewasgoingtofaint.


    Hearingthis<b>,</b>Lilysuddenlughed.Shenarrowedher<b>eyes</b>andasked,¡°WhatifIrefuse?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Refuse?¡±Shannonsneered,¡°IthinkIdon¡¯tneedtoremindyouthattheMartinezfamilyispayingforyourgrandma¡¯smedicalexpenses.Webroughtyouhereandadmittedyourgrandmaintothehospitalbecauseyouwereuseful.Nowthatyou¡¯renot,youcanleave¡±


    ShannonlookedatLilynklyandcontinued,¡°Butsinceyou¡¯remyhalf¨Csister,I¡¯llconsidergivingyousomemoneywhenyouleave.Youshouldbeartheconsequencesifyourefuse.Yourgrandma<b>may</b>losethechancetoreceivetreatmentbecauseofyourstupidity.¡±


    Lilysuddenlystoodup,steppedclosertoShannon,andgrabbedherneck


    Herexpressionwasdarkwhenshethreatened,¡°You mustbetiredofliving¡±


    ShewassofastShannondidn¡¯tseehermoLily hadalreadygrippedherbytheneckwhenshecamebacktohersenses.


    ShannonwasstartledbyLily¡¯sappearance,andherbodytrembled.


    Lilystaredathericily,thenreleasedhergrip.Shethrew<b>Shannon</b>totheground.


    ¡°TelltheMartinezfamilyI¡¯llbreakthelegsofwhoeverusesmygrandmaagainstme.


    Lilyhadneverbeenasoft¨Cheartedperson.Shewouldn¡¯tletsomeonewhoinsultedhergoeasily.

 Chapter 23

    ?


    Chapter 23


    Lily''s tolerance toward the Martinez family stemmed from their connection to Jason Martinez. However, this didn''t mean she would endure their behavior indefinitely.


    Her grandmother was the one person she wouldn''t tolerate anyone messing with. If anyone dared toy a finger on her, she would make them regret ever being born no matter who they were!


    Upstairs, Mnie insisted that Loid take off his clothes for inspection.


    To her astonishment, she discovered that all the lumps on his body were gone. She was speechless.


    Mnie''s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Loid. "W-What''s going on here? Who''s the famous doctor who cured you?"


    Loid dressed slowly, ncing at Mnie with a hint of a smile as he said, "Your future daughter-inw."


    "Lily?" Mnie eximed with a voice filled with disbelief. "That''s impossible!"


    Lily was just a 19-year-old youngdy who hadn''t even graduated from college. How could she possibly cure Loid''s illness?


    Moreover, it wasn''t an ordinary illness-it was poisoning.


    Countless renowned doctors had failed to find an antidote, so how could a young girl like Lily figure it out?


    After realizing that Loid wasn''t joking, Mnie took a deep breath. Her brows furrowed in contemtion. "Isn''t this little girl just a simple country bumpkin?"


    "No," Loid replied. He hadn''t made any particr effort to investigate Lily. His knowledge of Lily was mostly based on the information Daniel had gathered upon discovering that the Martinez family intended to arrange her marriage with Loid. However, the details he had were only superficial.


    Lily''s identity had been carefully concealed by someone with impressive skills.


    Even with Daniel''s abilities, it seemed impossible for him to have missed the fact that Lily was Shadowbane''s apprentice.


    While Lily''s background needed further investigation, Loid refrained from asking Daniel to look into it.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He wasn''t interested in prying into certain aspects of her life. Despite her hostility, there wasn''t any malice behind it, so he believed there was no need for him to investigate. Mnie''s expression turned serious. "Then why did she save you? Was it premeditated?"


    "I don''t know," Loid said as he raised his eyes to look at Mnie. "I thought you really liked her."


    "Yes, I do," Mnie admitted her fondness for Lily without hesitation. "She''s genuine and unpretentious. I''m very pleased with her."


    In Mnie''s social circle, everyone seemed eager to please her. It was rare to find someone who could disregard her status and engage in genuine conversation.


    However, Lily was different. Since her arrival, Lily had disyed no effort to please Mnie and consistently maintained a calm demeanor. Despite her polite tone, Mnie sensed an underlying impatience in Lily.


    As Lily''s future mother-inw, Mnie was immediately drawn to Lily''s straightforwardness andck of pretense. Mnie concluded from this alone that Lily did not behave like those wealthy young women who were always scheming to please others for personal gain.


    "While I adore her, I can''t help but worry if you''ve somehow offended her and she''se seeking revenge."


    Mnie was not one to overlook things. Despite her fondness for Lily, her son''s well-being remained her top priority.


    Mnie had unwavering confidence in Loid''s captivating looks. She knew that most women couldn''t resist his charm. To Mnie''s surprise, Lily proved to be an exception.


    From the moment Lily arrived, Mnie noticed she hadn''t nced at Loid once. Shannon, on the other hand, couldn''t resist ncing at him every now and then.


    Loid narrowed his eyes and said, "It''s possible."


    "What should we do now?" Mnie panicked.


    "She''s my fianc¨¦e." Loid smirked.


    Upon hearing this, Mnie chuckled. "Well yed."


    A fianc¨¦e could eventually be a legal wife.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    After a beef conversation with Loid, they headed downstairs.


    justthen, Sharmon noticed Mnie and Loid walking down the stain.


    with a flickerin her eyes<strong>, </strong>she suddenly raised her hand and pped herself across the face. Then, she burst into tears and sobbed. ¡°Lily, I <strong>know </strong>you don¡¯t like me. If you don¡¯t want me to stay, leave. That why did you hit me


    Lily stood there with her hands in her pockets and her eyebrows raised slightly. She smirked as she watched Shannon act out


    A Moniewalked over, she nced at Shannon and casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¦°¦±


    With her face buried in her <strong>hands</strong><strong>, </strong>Shannon sobbed pitifully. ¡°Mrs. Laurier, Lily said she doesn¡¯t want me to stay here. She only agreed to let me shy to leave a good impression you I just said 1 wanted to take care of her, but she hit me!!


    Shannon¡¯s <strong>petite </strong>frame and delicate features made her seem <strong>myn </strong>more vulnerable as she sobbed uncontrobly. However, the people around her saw through her act


    ¡°Lily, <strong>you </strong><strong>used </strong>to get into <strong>fights </strong><strong>and </strong><strong>skip </strong>ss back at school, and our family would always clean the mess up for you. But this is someone else¡¯s home. You can¡¯t just let your temper get the better of you¡± Shannon sobbed even harder.


    <strong>¡°</strong>Then just pack your things and go back home,¡± Mnie <strong>sald </strong>Mnie was no fool. <strong>She </strong><strong>saw </strong><strong>right </strong><strong>through </strong><strong>shannon¡¯s </strong><strong>act</strong>.


    She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to expose such a poor act, Shannon was stunned, her face filed with disbelief.


    she had never expected Mnie to be so fond of Lily


    Shannon assumed that a family as prestigious <strong>as </strong>the Lauriers would never tolerate any blemishes <strong>on </strong>their daughter¨Cinw¡¯s reputation. That was why she deliberately


    chestrated things this way, hoping to make Melle despise Lily.


    Little did <strong>she </strong>know that Mnie wouldn¡¯t even bother confronting Lily. Meknie simply dismissed her <strong>without </strong><strong>a </strong>second thought, which waspletely uneptable


    Now that she had finally secured her ce in Laurier Residence, she was determined not to let the tated scheme force her out.


    Suppressing her emotions, Shannon hastily <strong>replied</strong><strong>, </strong><strong>¡°</strong>Mnie, 1 forgive Lily even though she hit me. We¡¯re sisters, and we should help each other. I¡¯ll make sure to be more obedient and take care of <strong>Lily¡¯s </strong>needs from now OIL¡±


    Lily furrowed her brows in experti


    Was Shannon taking them all for book?


    It was clear that everyone disked her, yet she persisted in staying and caning trouble.


    Shannon¡¯s mood swings ledi Mnie speechless. Just moments ago, Shannon used Liyothirring it, yet none she was acting as if they were the closest of sisters.


    Hanning encountered many maniptive people in her life<strong>, </strong>Mnie quickly recognized Shannon¡¯s scheming nature. This was the first time someone had been so open about it Thus, Mnie wondered what could <strong>possibly </strong>be going on in Shannon¡¯s mind


    ¡°ne, you can help your sister more on in the futurnie decided to keep Sharon around.


    It was clear that Lily <strong>had </strong>a fiery temper<strong>, </strong>and Shannon would have a tough time she stayed


    If Shannon wanted to make things difficult for herself, then Mnia would be happy to oblige


    After charting briefly with Lily, Mnie decided to leave.


    Just as she was <strong>about </strong><strong>to </strong><strong>depart</strong>, something suddenly came to her mind. She turned back to Shannon and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, your sister isn¡¯t just someone else. She¡¯s part of the Laurier family, the daughter¨Cinw of the prestigious Laurier family¡±


    Shannon immediately lowered her head, biting her lip tightly.


    Loid had originally intended to show Lily around the area, burshe declined.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital,¡± she said. It had been the six days since her arrival in Lagersfield City, yet she had not visited her grandmother.


    Lihrilled out her cap and put it on. She often recaps to keep her face hidden from others.


    ,¡°Loid <strong>said </strong>without <strong>hesitation</strong>, reaching naturally for <strong>taly¡¯s </strong>bied.


    ¡°I go with <strong>you</strong>,¡±


    Lilypaused for a moment as she lowered her gaze. Loid¡¯s hand was warm while hersey. As he <strong>held </strong>her hand, aforting warmth spread over her skin, bringing a strangely <strong>soothing </strong>sensation.


    Without a word, she lingered for a few seconds before following Loideut. Neither of them acknowledged Shannon


    As they reached the door, Shannon suddenly spoke up, ¡°Why, I¡¯ll go with you to visit Grandma. She¡¯s been in Lagersfieldfor so long, and I haven¡¯t visited her yet.¡±


    Shannon¡¯s intentions were far from puer. She simply wanted to be around Cold at all times.


    ¡°Get list ¡°Lily snapped, her brows furrowing in annoyance.


    Lily had been <strong>in </strong><strong>a </strong>rtively good mood earlier, which was why she went along with Shannon¡¯s charades. Moreover, Shannon was the one courting <strong>disaster</strong>, so she was more than willing to indulge her


    Now<strong>, </strong>Shannon wordenly expressed a desire to visit her grandmother. Lily was taken aback. ¡°With what audacity Does she even deserve to?¡± she thought.


    ¡°Lily?¡± Shannon was stunned, tears welling up <strong>in </strong>her eyel


    She couldn¡¯t believe that Lily would humiliate her in front of Lald<strong>. </strong>


    Lily lowered her head without even ncing at Shannon, then turned around and left.


    Lokd cast a cold nce at <strong>Shannon</strong>, his thin lips parting slightly as he said <strong>in </strong>a ttane, ¡°Ms. Martinez, if you¡¯re fine, please start preparing dinner.¡±


    When Lold paused, Shannon assumed he was about to speak up for her. Instead, he instructed her to prepare dinner.


    A surge of anger welled up within Shannen, but she forced a smile and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lily and Leid had just settled into the car when a luxurious vehicle pulled up to the vi¡¯s trance Shan and Daniel erged from the ear


    Chapter 24


    ¡°Loid,


    old, where an


    are you guys off to?¡±


    who had business with Loid, noticed they were about to leave as soon as he arrived.


    ¡°The hospital,¡± Loid replied, his eyes lifting slightly. <strong>¡°</strong>Something up?


    ¡°You¡¯re going to visit Lily¡¯s grandmother?1¡¯lle along.¡± Shaun knew the moment he heard the word ¡®hospital¡® that they were going to visit Lily¡¯s grandmother.


    Yesterday, Lily demonstrated remarkable medical skills that left Loid utterly astounded. Furthermore, Loid¡¯s life seemed to hang precariously In Lily¡¯s hands, prompting him to feelpelled to appease her.


    Perhaps one day, Lily would be willing to cure Loid¡¯s illness.


    However, Lily had <strong>a </strong>bad temper. She was frequently <strong>cold </strong>and agitated, and even her smiles carried a hint of unsettling malice. Herughter seemed to portend impending


    misfortune for someone<strong>. </strong>


    This trait eerily resembled Loid¡¯s Whenever he smiled, it meant something was about to happen.


    ¡°These two are really made for each other. They have the exact same personality,¡± Shaun thought.


    ¡°Count me in,¡± Daniel agreed with Shaun.


    Without waiting for Loid¡¯s response, they both hopped into the car. ¡°Loid, I¡¯ll drive,¡± Daniel dered, snatching the keys from Loid¡¯s <strong>grasp</strong>.


    Loid raised an eyebrow but made no objection.


    Lily barely acknowledged Shaun and Daniel as she engrossed herself in her phone.


    Halfway through their journey, Shaun suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Lily, your medical skills are so impressive. Why didn¡¯t you treat your grandmother¡¯s illness?¡± Lily¡¯s ability to cure the Bloodbane poison suggested she possessed the means to heal her grandmother¡¯s illness as well. However, Lily seemed to prefer letting her grandmother stay in the hospital rather than treat her illness. This choice puzzled those around her


    Lily¡¯s fingers paused for a moment, her gaze lifting slightly. Her voice was cold <strong>and </strong>firm as she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t cure her.¡±


    ¡°What? There¡¯s a disease you can¡¯t cure?¡± Shaun eximed in disbelief.


    As Shadowbane¡¯s apprentice, Lily must have inherited his medical skills. If she couldn¡¯t cure the illness herself, she could always seek shadowbane¡¯s help. How could she not be able to cure her grandmother¡¯s illness?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    If Shadowbane couldn¡¯t cure this disease, then the doctors in the city center were even less likely to seed.


    Lily lowered her gaze. Her eyes were now clouded with a dark determination.


    Shaun felt intimidated by Lily¡¯s demeanor. He swallowed nervously and asked,


    <ol>


    <li>¡°What illness does your grandmother have?¡±</li>


    </ol>


    ¡°She was poisoned,¡± Lily said, her voice as cold as ice as she lifted her head

 Chapter 25

    Chapter25


    AssoonasLilyfinishedspeaking,anoppressivesilencefelloverthecar.


    Loidturnedhis<b>head</b>slightlytonceatLilybeforeslowlywithdrawinghisgate.Histhinlipswerepursed,andhisexpressionwasunreadable.


    <b>Shaun¡¯s</b>browsfurrowedashetookamomenttoprocesswhathehadheard.¡°Poisoned?Areyoujoking?


    Lilyraisedaneyebrow,givingShanalookthatclearly impliedhewasanidiot.


    Shawnremainedsilent,unsureofhowtorespond


    Onceagain,hefeltLily¡¯sdisdainfulgazedirectedathim.


    ¡°Whowould<b>joke</b>abouttheirowngrandmother?¡±Daniel<b>looked</b>at<b>Shaun</b>asifhewereanidiot.


    Althoughtheyhadn¡¯tknownLilyforlongandhadneverheardhermentionanythingabouttheMartinezfamilyorhergrandmother,allthreeofthemcouldsensethatLilycareddeeplyforhergrandmother.


    Atthatmoment,ShaunstupidlyaskedifshewasjokingWouldn¡¯tthatmakepeoplethinkhewasanidiot?


    Danielsighed.EversinceLilyhadarrived,Shaun¡¯sintelligenceseemedtobeplummeting


    ¡°L¡±Shaunstammered,feelingutterlydefeated.


    Wasitreallythathckedintelligence,orhadhesimplybeenunabletoprocesstheinformationquicklyenough?Whocouldhaveimaginedthatanelderlywomanwhohadlivedherentirelifeinthecountrysidewouldbepoisoned?


    AndthefactthatLilywasunabletoneutralizethepoisonindicatedthatitwasfardeadlierthantheBloodbanepoison.Thesituationwasalreadybizarreenough,sowhywouldhebeconsideredfoolishforthinking thatLily<b>was</b>joking?


    Ignoringthestaresoftheotherthreepeopleinthecar,Shaunbeanedforwardandasked<b>Lily</b>,¡°Whatkind<b>of</b>poisonisthatpowerful?¡±


    ¡°Mindshroudpoison,¡±Lilymurmured,hervoicedevoidofanyemotion.


    A<b>sharp</b>screechoftiresfilledtheairasthecarabruptlycametoahalt.<b>As</b><b>soon</b>asLilyfinishedspeaking,Danielmmedonthebrakes,turninghisheadinshock.Instinctively,ShaunturnedtoLoid.Hisjawdropped,andhewasunabletoutterasingleword.


    AsLoidturnedtoLily,hissternexpressionsoftened,buthis<b>brows</b>farrowedtightly.Noneofthemspoke.Thetensionintheairwasthickandheavy.


    Amidstthetensesilence,Lilyremaineposed.Lilycontinuedtoscrollthroughherphone.Her demeanorwas<b>as</b><b>calm</b>asif<b>she¡¯d</b>justmentionedsomethingtrivial.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Afteranagonizingthreeminutes,LoidavertedhisgazeandtookLily¡¯shand<b>in</b>atightgripHesaidgently.¡°Let¡¯sgo.¡±


    DanielhurriedlyturnedhisheadandstarteddrivingShaunalsoturnedaround.Hisgazewasfixedontheoutsideofthecar,hisheartpoundingwildlyLoiddidn¡¯taskLilyanythingelse.Heleanedbackinhisseat,lostinquietcontemtion


    Suddenly,Lilyfelthishandgrasphers.Lostinthoughtfor<b>a</b>moment,shehatedhergazetocatchLoid¡¯sprofileSunlightstreamedthroughthecar window,illuminatinghiswell-definedfeatures.Hisfaceresembledawlesssculpture.


    Herhandfeltwarminhisgrasp.


    Loiddidn¡¯tspeak,but<b>a</b><b>subtle</b>changeinhisgripspokevolumes.Lilyfelt asurgeofreassurance.Itwasasifhe<b>had</b>promisedtoprotecther.


    Lilyloweredhergaze.Shehadahandpressedagainstthecarwindow.Hereyesnarrowed,thelight<b>catching</b>themastheyshiftedfrombrightnesstodarkness.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Lily didn¡¯t pull her hand away, allowing Loid to hold it.


    No one said another word for the rest of the journey. An hourter, the car pulled up to the hospital in the city center.


    Lily had just reached her grandmother¡¯s ward when she heard angry shoutsing from inside. ¡°Belinda, you¡¯re a teacher<strong>, </strong>for heaven¡¯s sake. With all your experience teaching countless students, how could you raise Lily to be like this?¡±


    It was Susan¡¯s voice.


    Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed in an instant, a shiver running down her spine. Loid¡¯s expression also turned cold, his deep eyes gleaming with a piercing intensity.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong w with Lily? Belinda¡¯s voice was weak<strong>, </strong>punctuated by a few coughs as she spoke.


    ¡°How <strong>dare </strong>you <strong>ask </strong>what¡¯s wrong? Ever since she came back to the Martinez family, she¡¯s been nothing but rude. I suppose you can¡¯t expect much from a country bumpkin in terms of manners but how dare she treat shannon like a servant?


    <strong>¡°</strong>Who does she think she is? How dare she boss around my daughter?¡± Susm¡¯s face twisted in rage. Her demeanor was far from that of a dignifieddy.


    Belinda¡¯s face was pale. ¡°But Lily is also your daughter,¡± she pleaded


    Susan scoffed coldly. ¡°Hmph! She¡¯s just a daughter I no longer want.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that? Belinda¡¯s voice trembled with emotion. ¡°She¡¯s still the child you carried for ten months. How can you be so cruel?¡±


    ¡°What about her? I never wanted her<strong>, </strong>so she¡¯s not truly my daughter. Having her rece Shannon in marriage was the only reason I brought her back. If she were half as good as Shannon, maybe I could find a way to ept her.


    ¡°But she failed every single exam, and her specialties are fighting and skipping ss. She¡¯s arrogant and disrespectful, just like <strong>a </strong>typical delinquent. I¡¯m doing her a favor by marrying her off¡±


    Belinda mmed her hand on the table, her voice rising in anger. ¡°Shut up! Lily is not <strong>as </strong>worthless as you make her out to be. She¡¯s exceptional, more than you could ever imagine.


    Susan let out a burst ofughter, her voiceced with scorn. ¡°Her? Exceptional? Only you would see that in ber.


    <strong>¡°</strong>Alright, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. The Martinez family has decided that she¡¯s no longer required to <strong>proceed </strong>with the arranged marriage. However, since the engagement ceremony has already taken ce, <strong>she¡¯s </strong>still considered Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e


    ¡°It would be inappropriate for us to unterally break off the engagement. I suggest you have Lily exin the situation to Loid personally, I¡¯ll then immediately arrange for your departure.¡±


    Susan reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of bills. ¡°Till give you a hundred thousand dors if you get this done


    Susan paused, then let out a coldugh. ¡°To be honest, I think you should just give upon treatment. The doctor mentioned there¡¯s no cure for your condition. The only thing you can do is manage it with medication.


    ¡°But considering your financial situation, even affording medication is a struggle. So, I think it¡¯s best if you just give up.¡±


    The moment Susan finished speaking, the door to the ward was locked open with a loud bang. Shaun burst in, his features twisted with rage. He forcefully kicked at Susan, causing her to fall to the floor. His veins bulged on his forehead as he snarled


    ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed much in my life, but never have I encountered a mother as vicious as you! You don¡¯t deserve to be called human!¡±


    was fuming. He had been eavesdropping outside the door for half an hour with his teeth clenched in anger, so be didn¡¯t go in.


    Lily and Loid remained still. However, when Shaunter heard Susan asking Lily¡¯s grandmother to give up on her treatment, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and kicked the door open Shaun¡¯s forceful kick sent Susan sprawling against the wall, Wincing in pain, she lifted her head to see Shaun¡¯s fuming face.


    Behind him stood Lily, Daniel, and another unfamiliar man whom she had never met.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Everyone¡¯s faces were etched with worry, their expressions grim. Susan tried to salvage the situation. Despite the throbbing pain in her body, she frantically exined, ¡°Shaun, it¡¯s not what you think. Please, let me exin.¡±


    Shaun sneered, ¡°Exin? Exin it to Loid.¡±


    Loid remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lily.


    As soon as Lily entered the ward, she rushed to Belinda¡¯s bedside.


    Belinda¡¯s emotional distress had caused the poison to surge through her system, malding it difficult for her to breathe, Without any hesitation, Lily retrieved a pill from her poich


    As Belinda¡¯s condition stabilized, Lily stood and walked slowly toward Susan. Her exquisite <strong>beauty </strong>tumed cold as frost as she said, ¡°Do you think that by taking care of my grandmother<strong>, </strong>you can manipte meal will

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Lily spoke slowly, her voicenguid yet chilling.


    Susan¡¯s heart pounded rapidly as Lily¡¯s gaze met hers. It was strange that a single look from Lily sent shivers down her spine. What was it about her that made her feel so uneasy<strong>? </strong>


    Susan averted her gaze, annoyed at her own fear of Lily. If Shaun weren¡¯t here, she would¡¯ve given Lily a piece of her mind.


    But with both Shaun and Daniel being Lold¡¯s friends and Lily being Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Susan said, trying to maintain herposure. ¡°I just came to visit your grandmother. She didn¡¯t want to grovel before Lily, but she had no choice. After all, Loid was someone she couldn¡¯t mess with.


    Lily let out a mockingugh, her eyes gleaming with icy disdain. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to visit my grandmother!¡±


    Susan¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, but she held back. ¡°Lily, no matter what, I¡¯m still your mother. How can you speak to me like that?


    Shaun sniggered, a hint of reguishness creeping into his demeanor, perhaps inspired by Lily. ¡°So, you¡¯re a mother now? I thought you weren¡¯t even human.¡±


    Hearing that, Susan was flustered ¡°Shaun, You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Her voice trailed off. She was unsure of how to defend herself. She had no <strong>idea </strong>how much sham had overheard. For now, all she could do was lower herself and plead.


    <strong>Shaun </strong>scoffed. ¡°The key isn¡¯t whether I misunderstood but whether Loid did. You should be more concerned about that.¡±


    Turning to Loid, he added, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Susan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the man standing beside Lily. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Loid?¡±


    Shannon hadn¡¯t yet told Susan that Lald¡¯sess had been cured<strong>. </strong>Susan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Loid. How could this be? Wasn¡¯t she told that his face was disfigured? But why did his face look wless?


    There wasn¡¯t a single blemish in sight, as this features had been meticulously sculpted by the hand of a great artist.


    What on earth had she <strong>done</strong>? Even if a man like Loid had only two years left to live, marrying him would not have been a loss for Shannon. Perhaps after Loid¡¯s passing, Shannon could even inherit arge portion of his wealth.


    But instead, she had given such a good man to Lily, <strong>and </strong>she allowed Lily to bully her. Susan truly hated herself.


    Loid raised <strong>his </strong>eyes and nced at Susan with an indifferent expression His thin lips parted slightly as he said, ¡°The Martinezes? Very well.¡±


    These few words made Susan shver involuntarily.


    Loid¡¯s ruthless reputation was widely known. He was regarded as cold¨Cblooded and cruel, and those who crossed him often met grim fates. If Loid were to intervene on Lily¡¯s behalf, the Martinez family would be doomed.


    Susan couldn¡¯t care less about her dignity anymore. She hurriedly grabbed Lily¡¯s hand and said with emotion, ¡°Lily, I was just joking with your grandmother. You¡¯re my daughter. How could I not love you? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of your grandmother and ensure she proves the best treatment.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Lily raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked at Susan without any emotion.


    Sensing Lily¡¯sck of response, Susan continued, ¡°As you know, I¡¯ve been married twice before. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to <strong>marry </strong>into the Martinez family. Now that they¡¯re covering your grandmother¡¯s medical expenses, I have to be mindful of their feelings. That¡¯s why I was a bit harsh with my words.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take it personally¡±


    Her words wereced with emotion, but even a fool could detect the underlying threat


    Lily pulled her hand back without changing her expression. Her gaze was fixed on Susan¡¯s anxious face. A sudden smirk yed on her lips. ¡°Money? Do I not have any?


    Shaun scoffed. ¡°Of course, she does. Lilly is Loid¡¯s wife, Why would she be short on cash? If the Martinez family can¡¯t afford it, then don¡¯t bother. Loid will naturally cover the medical expenses.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter <strong>28 </strong>


    Susan¡¯s expression froze momentarily, but she quickly regained herposure and smiled. ¡°<strong>No</strong><strong>, </strong>we can afford it. It¡¯s only 20 thousand a month. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Lily gave her a sidelong nce before tuming and opening the door to the ward. She called <strong>over </strong><strong>a </strong>nurse, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a <strong>card</strong>. Handing it to the nurse, she instructed, ¡°I¡¯d like to pay for a year¡¯s treatment.¡±


    As she pulled out her card, Loid¡¯s pupils constricted. A hint of amusement graced his previously cold demeanor.


    Shaun¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. It was a ck card. This card was globally limited, held only by individuals with assets worth at least a few billion dors,


    ¡°Wow, Lily is something else! She even has a ck card!¡± Shaun thought


    She was no ordinary country bumplin; she was a hidden billionaire.


    Lily¡¯s gaze darted toward the group before she calmly looked away. In truth, the ck card was given to her by someone else. Years ago, she cured a wealthy man and charged <strong>a </strong>betty so mition for her services. Over <strong>time</strong><strong>, </strong>she deposited all the money she eamed onto this <strong>card </strong>Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Lily had never checked the bnce on the card, nor did she know the exact amount. However, she was certain it was at least a few billion dors.


    This was just an estimate. If she were to check the bnce, the actual amount would likely be even higher.


    The nurse returned with the bill in <strong>a </strong>sh. She handed the card back to Lily with a newfound respect in her eyes. ¡°Ms. Brooks, this is your card. Please keep it safe.¡±


    The nurse had never seen a ck card before. While processing the payment, her colleague informed her that the owner of such a card had a worth of at least a few billion dors. This revtion left the nurse taken aback.


    She <strong>had </strong>been specially assigned to this VIP ward, so she always feared she might make a mistake and upset the wealthy patient.


    ¡°<strong>Thank </strong>you,¡± Lily politely replied as she took back the card.


    Susan had <strong>no </strong>idea that Lily was holding a ck card. With her limited exposure to the world of the elite doe to her social status, Susan was only familiar with debit cards and credit cards. She had never even heard of a ck card, and Liam had never mentioned it to her either.


    When Lily pulled out the ck card to pay<strong>, </strong>Susan¡¯s first instinct was to assume that Loid had given it to her. It triggered immediate envy.


    Within two days of Lily moving into Anmer Heights, Loid had given her a card. Susan thought his generosity was astounding. She was unaware of the card¡¯s bnce, but she knew that Belinda¡¯s medical expenses amounted to a staggering 4.8 million.


    Despite the hefty sum, Lily had paid it without hesitation, and Loid hadn¡¯t even flinched.


    Susan¡¯s thoughts churned with regret. If Shannon had married Loid, given Shannon¡¯s capabilities, she could have easily inherited at least a hundred million before his death. Instead, she gave the best bachelor to Lily. This would only embolden that wretched Lily. Susan would never allow such a thing to happen.


    After a moment of silence, Susan walked over to Loid with a smile and said, ¡°<strong>Loid</strong>, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about the medical expenses. My family can afford it.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good for Lily¡¯s reputation if word got out that you¡¯re covering her grandmother¡¯s medical bills<strong>, </strong>especially since you two aren¡¯t married yet.¡±


    Loid raised an eyebrow. He looked at Susan with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re right¡±


    Susan sighed in relief. ¡°Then I¡¯ll <strong>call </strong>Liam and tell him to refund the money to you.¡±


    Lold chuckled, amusement flickering in his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay for anything, <strong>so </strong>why would 1 ask for a refund He stood beside Lily, his expensive attire entuating his air <strong>of </strong>refinedelegance andposure.


    Susan was taken aback. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just pay for the medical expenses?¡± she asked, confusioncing her voice.


    Shaun couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Are you <strong>really </strong>clueless or pretending to be? The card belongs to Lily. Loid didn¡¯t give her a penny.¡±


    Susan turned to Lily in disbelief. ¡°What? It¡¯s your card?¡±


    How was this possible?


    It was over four million.


    That was not a small sum


    Lily was just <strong>a </strong>country bumpkin. Where could she have gotten so much money from?

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    1/1


    Lily nosed her eyes slightly, her expression as cold <strong>as </strong><strong>ice</strong>. ¡°Do you truly believe the Martinez family is that impressive?¡±


    Susan was taken aback and speechless for a long time. How dare this wretch beetle the Martinez family? The Martinez family was the second most powerful family in Lagersfield


    Shaun chuckled ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. They¡¯re not impressive at


    Not to mention Loid, even the Knight family was far superior to the Martinez family. The Martinez family was indeed unimpressive. Moreover, the Martinez family couldn¡¯t even afford the ck card that Lily possessed


    With their current <strong>financial </strong>situation, it was untilorly that the entire Martinez family even had ten billion. And yet, they still had the audacity to look down on Lily.


    Susan¡¯s expression stiffened. She felt as if her heart was sinking. In Lagersfield<strong>, </strong>she had always been among the ele. But in the presence of the Laurier and Knight families, she -couldn¡¯t even dream of holding a candle to them.


    Compared to them, the Martinez family was indeed nothing


    Lily walked toward Susan. Her serene features remained devoid of any emotion. ¡°Thave no ties to the Martinez family, any Martinez mily member dares to disturb my grandmother again, they¡¯ll regret it,¡± Lily dered.


    Her <strong>eyes </strong>then shed with a chilling intensity. In a swift movement, the raised her hand and snapped Susan¡¯s <strong>a </strong>


    Susan screamed while <strong>rolling </strong>on the ground in pain. ¡°You little wretch! I¡¯m your mother! How could you do this to me? None of you Brooks are any good.¡±


    Susan continued to curse, but Lily¡¯s expression turned icy. ¡°Reep going if you don¡¯t want to live.¡±


    Murderous intent emanated from her. Those who knew her well would recognize that she was truly enraged now.


    Belinda became anxious upon hearing how intimidated Susan was by <strong>Lily</strong>. ¡°Lily, don¡¯t! She¡¯s your mother, after all!!!


    Lily lowered her head, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to be my mother!¡±


    ¡°But you still can¡¯t hurt her,¡± Bellinda pleaded, anxiously patting the bed. ¡°You have a bright future ahead of you. You can¡¯t ruin your life. You promised me you would live a good Ele..¡± Belinda¡¯s words were interrupted by fits of coughing


    Belinda was overwhelmed by anxiety as the suppressed poison red up again. Lily swiftly set aside her anger and took a pill for Belinda to take


    After swallowing the pill, Belinda¡¯splexion noticeably improved<strong>. </strong>Grasping Lily¡¯s hand gratefully, Belinda¡¯s face softened with kindness. ¡°Let her go. If you harm her, you¡¯ll be


    trouble <strong>too</strong>.<strong>¡± </strong>


    Belinda¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t for Susan¡¯s Efe or death; her focus was solely on Lily When Susan abandoned Lily, Belinda made the decision to erase her from her life.


    Over the years, she had raised Lily on her own, and they only had each other. Therefore, she <strong>couldn¡¯t </strong>bear the thought of Lily sacrificing her life <strong>for </strong>such a heartless, uncaring motherBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Lily hid her face under her cap, making it impossible for Belinda to read her expression.


    After a moment, Lily raised her head<strong>, </strong>her voice chillingly cold as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll make her disappear without a trace. No one will know it was me¡±


    Standing behind her, Lold was shocked. Lily, who was not tall and very <strong>thin</strong>, appeared petite and fragile sitting on the hospital bed. Despite her delicate appearance, her words sent shivers down Loid¡¯s spine.


    Who would have thought that a 19¨Cyear¨Cold girl could be <strong>so </strong>indifferent to life and death? How many lives did she hold in her hands?


    Loid didn¡¯t doubt Lily¡¯s words for a second. He knew she was capable of taking Susan¡¯s life without anyone suspecting a thing


    His gaze at Lily intensified.


    He had never see her truly anxious <strong>about </strong><strong>anything</strong>, except when it came to her grandmother. She would turn her back on anyone for her grandmother.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter30


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±BelindaredangrilyatLily.¡°You¡¯rejusta<b>child</b>,Whatareyoutalkingaboutkitingfor?Ifwordgetsout,whowouldstillwanttobefriendswithyou?¡±


    Lilyremainedsilent.Infrontofhergrandmother,shealwayssuppressedherviolenttendencies.Shedidn¡¯twanthergrandmothertowitnessanybloodshed.


    ¡°Goon,fixherarm<b>for</b>her.Fromnowon,justtry<b>to</b>avoidber.¡±BelindapattedLily¡¯sshoulderandadvisedsoftly.


    Lilysighedsoftly asshestoodandLiftedSusan.Withafirmpush,shemaneuvered<b>Susan¡¯s</b>dislocatedarmbackintoitssocket.LilythenpushedSusanawayandcoldlyuttered,<b>¡±</b>Getasfarawayfrommeasyoucan.¡±


    Terrifiedbythem,Susanfoundherselfunabletoutterasingleword.Sheturnedtofleeforthedoor.


    Justasshereachedthedoor,Shamsuddenlylungedforwardandblockedherpath.¡°Mrs.Martinez,youjustinsultedsomeone.Aren¡¯tyougoingtoapologize?¡±


    Hepulledasmallknifefromhispocket,idlytwirlingitinhishandwithamischievousgrin.Lilymightnotcare,buthecertainlydid.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Althoughhehadulteriormotivesfor apanyingLilytothehospitaltovisitBelinda,hecouldn¡¯tignorethatLilywastold¡¯sfianc¨¦eandpracticallypartoftheirgroup<b>.</b>Howcouldheallowsomeonewhohadharmedoneofthemtowalk<b>away</b>soeasily?


    Susan,whohadbeenintimidatedbyLilyearber,wasnowterrifiedofSham


    Tooterrified toarguefurther,SusanrantothebedandapologizedtoBelinda,¡°I¡¯msorry,it¡¯smyfault,Ishouldn¡¯thavescoldedyou¡±


    Belindajustwavedherhanddismissivelyandsaid,¡°Goaway.¡±


    Susanwastooafraidtoleave.ShetrembledasshelookedatShaunandaskedhesitantly,¡°Shaun,canIgonow?¡±


    Shaundidn¡¯tanswer.HelookedatLoid.


    WithanedfromLoid,Shaunsteppedaside,allowingSusanto<b>leave</b>


    AssoonasSusanleft,ShaunwalkedovertoBelinda¡¯sbedwithagrin.¡°Hi,Belinda.I¡¯mShaun,¡±hegreeted.


    Loidfollowedsuit,approachingthebedwithapolitedemeanor.¡°Hello,BelindaI¡¯mLoid¡±Hethenpausedbrieflybeforeadding,¡°I¡¯mLily¡¯snc¡±


    Belindaimmediatelysmileduponhearingthis.¡°Oh,it¡¯syou!You¡¯requitehandsome¡±


    ¡°Thankyou¡±Loidpulledoutachairandsatdown,gesturingtoward Daniel¡°ThisisDaniel.¡±


    Danielquickly cameovertogreetBelinda


    BelindanoddedrepeatedlyatthemandthenturnedtoLoid<b>,</b>saying,¡°Lily¡¯syounganddoesn¡¯tunderstandmuchyet.Ifshedoesanythingwrong.Ihopeyoucanbeunderstanding


    ReassuranceflickeredinLoid¡¯seyesashereplied,¡°Don¡¯tworry,she¡¯sfine.¡±Hisfaintsmileheld<b>a</b>hint ofpoliteness,andhistoneremainedrespectful


    ¡°Actually,I¡¯m old,andIdon¡¯thavemuchlongertolive.The hingthatworriesmemostisLily.¡±


    Assoonasshefinishedspeaking,Lily¡¯sfaceturnedcold.¡°Grandma¡±


    Belindasighed.¡°Loid,Iknowyourfamilyiswell¨Coff,andyoumightbeoutofLily¡¯sleagueOntopofthat,she¡¯s<b>dealing</b>withthisconflictwithSusan.ButLoid,ifeverthingsdon¡¯tworkoutwithyoutwo,pleasefindheragoodfamily.¡±


    Lilymmedherphoneonthetable.Herexpressionwasgrim.


    Loidreachedforherhand,offeringagentlesmile.¡°Don¡¯tworry,Belindal¡®takecareofher,andI¡¯llmakesurethedoctorsdoeverythingtheycantotreatyourillness,¡±he


    reassured


    ¡°Iknowmyownbodybest1shouldvedied<b>a</b>longtimeago,butLilyhasbeenkeepingmealivewithallsortsofexpensivemedicines.EvenLilycan¡¯tcuremyillness,soIdoubtanyoneelsecan¡®


    Withadismissivewave,Belindasaid,¡°Alright,enoughaboutme.Thesmellinthewardisn¡¯tverypleasant.Whydon¡¯tallofyou gooutforawalk?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sokay,Belinda<b>,</b>¡±Shaunsaid.HepouredBelindaassofwaterwithasmile.¡°We¡¯llstayherewithyou.¡±


    Thesmellinthewardwasn¡¯tpleasant<b>,</b>butLoidandShaunwerenoordinaryrichyoungmen.They¡¯dbeenthroughalot,andthiswasnothinparedtothat.

 Chapter 31

    hapter31


    LoldandhipanionsweremeetingBelindaforthefirsttime,sotherewasasenseofunfamiliarityinthe<b>air</b>.SensingBelinda¡¯s unease,theydidn¡¯tlinger<b>and</b>leftthespaceforLilyandBelindatotalkprivately.


    OnceLoidandtheothershadleft,BelindareachedoutandtookLily¡¯shand,herfacefilledwithaffection.¡°Howhaveyoubeendoingthere?Haveyougottenusedtoit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mfine,¡±Lilyreplied<b>,</b>casuallypickingupanappleandpeelingitslowly.


    However,hereyesremaineddowncast,andherexpressionwasdevoidofanyemotion.


    Belinda pattedherhandandsighedsoftly: ¡°Iknowyoudon¡¯tlikeyourmother,andIdon¡¯teither.Butshe¡¯sstillyourbiologicalmother.TherearesomethingsyoujusthavetoletFOOL¡±


    Lilyremainedsilent,quietlypeelingtheapple.


    ¡°Haveyoumadearrangementsforschool?Belindaasked,sensingLily¡¯sreluctancetodiscussthetopicfurther.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡±Lilynodded.¡°EmberCreekHigh<b>School</b>.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯sagoodschoolstudyhardwhenyougetthere.Idon¡¯twanttointerferewithyourlife.Ijustthinkthatgettingahighschooldiplomawillbebetterforyouinthefuture,¡±Belindapursedherlipsandsaid.


    BelindaknewthatLilyhadbeenintelligentsinceshewasachild.Despitealwaysdoingstrangeandunusualthingsandrarelyspeakinghermind,Lilyhapletedthe12th-gradecurriculumbythetimeshewasinelementaryschool.


    Havingtaughtherselfmedicine,Lilypossessedmedicalskillsthatevensurpassedthoseofhighlyrespecteddoctors.


    Belinda believedLily¡¯sexceptionalintelligencehadrobbedherofthecarefreejoysofchildhood,whichwaswhyshewantedLilytoattendhighschondearn<b>a</b>highschooldiploma.


    Atleastthen,peoplewouldn¡¯tlookdownonherfornothavingaformaleducation.


    LilylookedupatBelindawhileshewasholdingtheapple.Shepursedherredlipsassheasked,¡°YouoncesaidthatmyfatherdisappearedafteingtoLagersfield<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    AfrowncreasedBelinda¡¯sface.¡°Whyareyouaskingaboutthis<b>all</b>ofasudden?¡±


    ?


    ¡°It¡¯snothing,¡±Lilyrepliednonchntly.¡°IjustknowheleftbeforeIwasevenborn.IfthnewIwashereinthisworld,wouldhe


    ¡°Hewouldn¡¯t!¡±BelindaInterruptedhersternly.¡°Yourfatherhasbeenmissingforsomanyyears.I¡¯vealreadyconsideredtheworst.Lily,don¡¯tmentionyourfatheragain.Justfocusonyourstudiesanddon¡¯tworryaboutanythingelse.¡±


    LilymetBelinda¡¯sgaze,hereyesdeepandunwavering¡°Tunderstand,¡±shesaid.


    BelindawatchedLily¡¯sexpression,hesitanttotellherwhatshehadlongknown.SheknewthatLilywassecretlysearchingforherfather.Lilymightnothavesaidanything,butthismatterwas<b>a</b>constantweightonherheart.


    Shewastoosmarttobelieveherfather¡¯sdisappearancewaswithoutcause,BelindalongedtotellLilythetruth,buttheweightofunspokensecretskepthertongue¨Cried.Aheavysilencedescendedupontheward


    Aftermunchingonanapple,drowsinesswashedoverBelinda,andshedriftedofftosleep.


    Lilysetdowntheknifeandwalkedovertothewindow.Tuckingherhandsintoherpocketsforwarmth,shegazrd outatthemurkysky,hercleareyeswincingslightlyagainstthe


    <b>cold</b>


    HeragreementtoapanySusantoLagersfieldwasn¡¯tsolelydrivenbyherdesiretoinvestigateJason¡¯sdeathorfulfillhergrandmother¡¯swishtoattendschool.Herprimarymotivationwastouncoverthetruthbehindherfather¡¯smysteriousdisappearanceallthoseyearsago.


    Lilyhad retrievedthepolicestation¡¯sdispatchrecords.Acarefulsearchrevealednoreportsofkidnappingsoridentaldeathsduringthattimeperiod.


    Thepoliceclosedthecaseafterameretwodaysofinvestigation.Theyofferednoexnation,simplystatinginthefilethatherfatherhadtraveledaloLagersfieldbeforehisdisappentance.


    However,herowninvestigationrevealedthatherfatherwasn¡¯talonebutwasapaniedbyothers.


    Despiterepeatedattemptstoquestionhergrandmother,herlipsremainedsealed.

 Chapter 32

    <b>Chapter</b><b>32</b>


    ThatwaswhywhenSusanapproachedher,LilyagreedwithouthesitationtetoLagersfield


    Uponherarrival,sheusedherhackingskillstoinvestigatetheentry andexitrecordsofallpersonnttheparticrbureauforthepasttwo decades.Strangely,shefoundnorecordofherfatherever<b>entering</b>thepremises.


    Herfatherseemedtohaveneverexistedinthisworld.


    Shecouldn¡¯tbelievethata livingpersoncouldjustvanishwithoutatrace.Despitehergrandmother¡¯sdisapproval,shewasdeterminedtogettothebottomofthismystery.


    LilyapaniedBelindaforawhile,gentlytackingthenketaroundherbeforeleavingtheward.


    Meanwhile,Loidheadedtothedoctor¡¯soffice


    Belinda¡¯s<b>doctor</b>hadjustfinishedsurgery,butwhenheheardLoidwaswaiting,herushedoverwithoutamoment¡¯spause.


    ¡°Mr.Laurier.¡±WinstonBarrettstoodbesideLoldwithahintofnervousness.


    Loid<b>sat</b>casuallyinthechair,hisgazesointensethatWinston couldn¡¯tmeethiseyes.


    Withacurtnod,Loidliftedhisheadandsaidpolitely,¡°Sitdown,Don¡¯t<b>be</b>nervous,Ijust<b>have</b>afewquestions.


    Injustashortwhile,Winston¡¯sfacewascoveredinsweat.HesatrespectfullynexttoLoid<b>and</b>mumbled<b>,</b>¡°Pleaseaskaway.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°ShowmeBelindaHutchinson¡¯streatmentn.¡±Loidleanedbackinhischair,hislongfingerstappingrhythmicallyonthedeskashespokeslowly.


    Winstonwastaken aback.BelindaHutchinson?Wasn¡¯tsheoneofhispatients?DidLoidlowher?


    Winston¡¯sbodyimmediatelytensedup,andhisexpressionwasfilledwithanxiety.¡°Apologies,Mr.Laurier.Belinda¡¯sconditionisquiteunique,andwehaven¡¯tyetdeveloped.treatmentn.¡±


    Loidnarrowedhiseyes.Achillingairemanatedfromhimasheuttered,¡°Notreatmentn?¡±


    WinstonshiveredasthekytoneinLold¡¯svoicesentshiversdownhisspine.¡°It¡¯sbecausewecan¡¯tfindthecause<b>of</b>herillness,¡±heexinedhurriedly.


    ¡°Allher<b>organs</b>areagingrapidly.We¡¯vedests,andit¡¯snotnaturging.Itshouldbepoison,butwehaven¡¯tbeenableto identifyityet.Fornow,wecanonlysuppressitwiththespecintidotefromtheMedicalResearchInstitute.¡°¡±


    *NowonderEllysenthergrandmothertothishospitalinthecitycenter,¡±Shaunmused,strokinghischin.¡°<b>It¡¯s</b>theonlyonewiththeresearchinstitute¡¯sspecintidote.¡±


    Shaunpaused,suspicionflickeringinhiseyesashelookedatLold.¡°Butherpillscansuppressthepoison,right?Whydoesshestillneedthespecintidote?¡±


    HehadclearlyseenLilyfeedBelindatwopillsearlier.


    Withhermedicalskills,suppressingthepoison<b>shouldn¡¯t</b>beanissue.Yet,shewasstillshellingoutafortuneforthe researchinstitute¡¯sspecintidote.That<b>was</b>abitunusual


    Loid¡¯seyesnarrowedincontemtion.After<b>a</b>moment,helookedupandsaid,¡°Thiscanonlymeanthatherpillsaren¡¯tveryeffectiveagainsttheMindshroudpoison.¡±


    Hestoodup,histandslenderframecreatingmandingpresence.Hisintensegazefocusedsharply,narrowingwithpurpose.¡°Hasanyoneelseusedthespecintidote?¡±Winstonshookhishead.¡°Notyet.It¡¯sextremelyexpensive,andmostpeoplecan¡¯taffordit,¡±heexined.


    Withacurtnodandapolitetone,LoldaddressedWinston,¡°Alright,thankyouforyourattentiontothismatter.¡±


    WinstonwastakenabackbyLoid¡¯sunexpectedappreciation.¡°<b>You¡¯re</b>wee,Mr.Laurier.It¡¯smyduty,¡±hereplied.


    Hisexpressionthenturnedseriousashesaid,¡°However,thesespecintidotesarerare,andtheMedicalResearchInstituteonlyprovidesasmamounteachmonth.I¡¯mworriedthat¡±


    Loidtuckedhishandscasuallyintohispockets.¡°Justfocusontreatingthepatientswholeheartedly,I¡¯llprovidethemedicine,¡±hesaidnonchntly


    Leavinghergrandmother¡¯sward,LilynavigatedthehallwaytowardWinston¡¯sofficeasshewantedanupdateonthetreatment.She<b>paused</b>atthedoor.Hereyebrowsarchedsubtly,aflickerofintriguecrossingherdarkeyesassheoverheardLoid¡¯sconversation


    Afteramomentofhesitation,Lilysteppedinside.


    Dr.Barrett,Lilysaid,hervoicesoftandrespectfulyettingedwithassertiveness.¡°I¡¯msorrytotroubleyouagainaboutmygrandmother.¡±


    ¡°Notroubleatall.It¡¯smyduty,¡±Winstonrepliedwithasmile.


    LilyhadbeenstandingwithLoidsinceshearrived,andnowshewasmentioninghergrandmother,Winston immediatelygraspedthesituation

 Chapter 33

    Chapter<b>33</b>


    Loid¡¯sfondnessforLily<b>was</b>clear.


    OutofrespectforLoid,WinstonwouldnaturallytreatanyoneLeidhelddearwiththeutmostimportance.


    Astheyleftthehospital<b>,</b>thesumhadalreadyset.


    Shaunexcitedlyannouncedthere wasanewrestaurantinthecitycenterthatjustopenedandinsistedtheytryitout.SinceLilywasnewtoLagersfieldandLoidhadn¡¯ttakenheroutforapropermealyet,Loidreadilyagreedtojoin


    AssoonasLilygotintothecar,sheslouchedagainstthewindow,lookingtiredanddisinterested.Hereyesweredowncast,andsheseemedtobeinalowmood.


    LoidlookedatLily.Her<b>usual</b>confidentandassertivedemeanorhadfadedsinceleavingthehospital,recedbyanoticeablesenseofdestionthattuggedathisheartstrings.HewonderedifshewasworriedaboutBelinda¡¯sillness.


    WithagentlepatonLily¡¯sshoulder,Loidsaidinacalmingvoice,¡°Don¡¯tworry,Iwon¡¯tletthesupplyofthespecintidoterunout.¡±


    Lilyliftedhergazeslightlyandsmiled.¡°Thankyou.¡±Thespecintidotewasn¡¯tLily¡¯sprimaryconcern.Even<b>without</b>Loid,shecould<b>ensure</b>asteadysupply.Hertruefearwasthathergrandmothermightnothavemuchtimeleft.


    Lilyusedtoliveacarefreelife.Shewasconfidentinherabilitytotakecareof<b>herself</b>andhergrandmother.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    However,hergrandmother¡¯shealthbegantodeterioraterapidlyafewyearsago.WhenLilycheckedhergrandmother¡¯s<b>pulse</b><b>,</b>sherealizedhergrandmother<b>had</b>beenunknowinglypoisonedforyears.Forthefirsttime,Lilybeltthestingofhelplessness.


    Unlikeordinarypoisons,Mindshroudpoisonwasn¡¯tanordinarypoison.ItwasavenomousparasiticwormthathadbeenimntedintoBelinda¡¯sbody.


    OncetheMindshroudpoisonenteredthebody,itwouldstayinactiveforatleastfiveyearswithoutcausinganyharm.However,onceitbecameactiveorwas<b>triggered</b>,itbecamedeadlyandwouldleadtodeathwithinayear.


    Belindawould¡¯vebeenlongdeadifLilyhadn¡¯tbeenproficientinmedicineandsuppressedtheMindshroudpoison¡¯sactivation.


    TheMindshroudpoisonwasindeedaformidablepoison.DespiteLily¡¯seffortstonourishBelinda¡¯sbodywiththemostexpensivemedicinalherbs,thepoisonwasproving


    resistanttotreatment


    Belinda¡¯sbodywasalreadydevelopingananti¨Cdrugresponse.ThepillsLilyhadbeengivingherwereonlyprovidingtemporaryrelief.TheironlyhopenowwasinthespecializedantidotedevelopedbytheMedical ResearchInstitute.


    Lilyrealizedhergrandmother¡¯sbodywas bingresistanttothemedication,soasomberexpressioncloudedherface.Shefearedthespecintidotewouldalsonotbeeffective<b>for</b>long.Shefeltincreasinglyfrustrated,andherfaceshowedsignsofdistress.


    Sensingherdistress,Loidreachedforherhand,histouchgentleandreassuring.¡°Takeitslow.We¡¯llfind<b>a</b><b>solution</b><b>,</b>¡±hemurmured.


    Thewarmthfromhistouch,orperhapsthesteadinessofhisvoice,soothedLily¡¯sagitationsomewhat.Yethergazeremaineddowncast,andherexpressionwascloudedwithworry


    <b>Shaun</b>knewLily<b>was</b>inabadmood<b>,</b>sohehesitatedtobotherher.Yetcuriositygnawedathim,andheturnedtoask,¡°Can¡¯tyourmentorcureyourgrandmother¡¯sillnesseither?¡±Lilyraisedaneyebrow.¡°Mentor?¡±


    ¡°Shadowbane?Isn¡¯theyourmentor<b>?</b>Ifyouaskhimtohelp,maybehecancureyourgrandmother¡¯sillness.¡±


    Lilywasspeechless.ShestaredatShaunasifhewereanidiot.


    Shauncouldn¡¯tstandLily¡¯sgaze.¡°Stoplookingatmelikethat!I¡¯mnotanidiot!


    Lily<b>calmly</b>retractedhergazeandsaid,¡°He¡¯snotmymentor.¡±


    averypowerfulmentor.ThemostpowerfulmentorIcanthinkofis


    Shaunfoundithardtofathom.¡°What?Howisthatpossible?Yourmedicalskillsaresogood.Youmust<b>have</b>avShadowbane,sohowcouldyounotbehisapprentice?¡±


    Shauncouldn¡¯tthinkofanyoneelsewhocouldteachsuchanoutstandingapprenticebesidesShadowbane.Lilyremainedsilent,unwillingtodealwiththisidiot

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Upon arriving at the restaurant, Loid told Sham to escort Lily inside first. He then stayed behind to give Daniel instructions before watching him depart.


    Lily wasn¡¯t picky about food<strong>. </strong><strong>She </strong>had <strong>a </strong>small appetite and only ate a few bites before stopping


    <strong>She </strong>grabbed a few bottles of beer from the waiter and popped the caps open with her teeth like a gangster.


    She loved to drink. It was her way to unwind after <strong>a </strong>stressful <strong>day</strong><strong>. </strong>However, she only liked beer. Those fancy liquors and wines weren¡¯ther cup of tea.


    Shaun watched her expertly pour the drinks, surprisecing his voice as he <strong>asked</strong>, ¡°You¡¯re only 19<strong>, </strong>and you enjoy drinking so much?¡±


    Lilly nced at him. <strong>She </strong>raised an eyebrow, and there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. ¡°Got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Lily¡¯s disdainful gaze made Shaun question his own charm. How could he possibly have any objections? He¡¯d be grateful <strong>if </strong>she¡¯d just stop looking at him like he was an idiot every now and then.


    Meanwhile, Lily ignored him. She continued scrolling through her phone while sipping her drink


    Shaun watched <strong>as </strong>she gulped down the beer like water and asked curiously, ¡°is beer that good?¡± Sham usually only drank hard liquor and red wine, both of which were quite expensive. He had never really tried beer <strong>before</strong><strong>. </strong>


    He was intrigued to see Lily enjoying beer so much.


    Raising her eyebds slightly, Lily offered, <strong>¡°</strong><strong>Want </strong>to try some?¡±


    <strong>Unable </strong>to resist the temptation, Shaun opened a bottle. He took <strong>a </strong>sip and immediately spat it out. ¡°Holy crap! What is this stuff? It tastes horrible!¡±


    Lily nced up <strong>at </strong>him


    Shaun flinched ¡°Whoa<strong>, </strong>hold on! Could you stop <strong>staring</strong>? You¡¯re <strong>making </strong>me question my entire existence,¡± he stammered.


    Lily silently averted her gaze as she finished the bottle of beer in her <strong>hand </strong>and then opened another.


    Shaun sighed. ¡°Well, I guess <strong>I¡¯ll </strong>just have to suffer through this.¡±


    As he spoke<strong>, </strong>he <strong>nced </strong>at Loid <strong>and </strong>suddenly remembered something. Turning to Lily, he asked, ¡°Can Loid drink.now?¡±


    ¡°Yes<strong>, </strong><strong>he </strong>can,¡± Lily replied without hesitation.


    A wave of relief washed over Shaun as he promptly opened a bottle of beer for Loid. With a grin, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one drinking with your fianc¨¦e, right?


    Loid took the bottle and gave:


    e Shaun asidelong nce.


    Shaun was speechless. ¡°Damn it! When did Loid learn to stare at people like <strong>that</strong>?¡± he thought. The constant nces from Lily and Loid felt like a thousand daggers piercing Shaun¡¯s heart. Wisely<strong>, </strong>he decided to keep his mouth shut


    After dinner, Daniel arrived, apanied by Shannon, who had several pieces of luggage of various sizes beside her. Though Shannon had only been at Anmer Heights for two <strong>days</strong><strong>, </strong>she already had five pieces of luggage with her.


    Ully met Shannon¡¯s re of undisguised hatred. Shannon raised an eyebrow, then turned to Loid, ignoring Lily.


    Lold remained silent. He took Lily¡¯s hand and led her toward the car. With the addition of another passenger, Shaun moved to the back seat. Loid had deliberately left the front seat empty to avoid sitting next to Shannon.


    Lily didn¡¯t bother to ask Loid where he was taking Shannon. After getting into the car, she lowered her head and started scrolling on her phone. To be precise, shes


    , she wasThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    was texting


    Lily replied to a message from Duncan with a few words.


    A momentter, her phone screen lit up again. It was another message from Duncan: ¡°Damn! School is so much fun! Why <strong>didn¡¯t </strong>you ask me to go together with you?¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter35


    Lilyproppedherheadagainstthecarwindowwithone<b>hand</b>andnonchntlyrespondedwiththeother:¡°Doyoudarete?¡±


    Afterreceivingnoresponseforalongtime,Lilyputherphoneaway.Shethenclosedhereyesandleanedagainstthewindow.


    PerhapsitwasDaniel¡¯ssmoothdriving<b>that</b>allowedLily,whousuallyhadtroublesleeping,toactuallydriftoffto sleep


    Shewas sodeeplyasleepthatLoidhadtowakeherup.Lookingup,sherealizedtheyhadarrivedatMartinezResidenceLilylookedatLoidwithahintofsurprise.


    Agentlesmileyedonhislipsashesaid<b>,</b><b>¡°</b>I¡¯mheretohandlesomebusiness¡±


    Lilydidn¡¯treply.Justthen,herphonebuzzedwithanotification.Shetook<b>it</b><b>out</b>andsawamessagefromDuncan:¡°Nope!Idon¡¯tdarete.¡±


    Shedidn¡¯trespondtothemessageandsimplyputherphonebackinherpocket.


    Assoonastheygotoutofthe<b>car</b>,LoidnaturallytookLily¡¯shand.Lilydidn¡¯tresist,perhapsoutofhabit,ormaybesheenjoyedthewarmthofhispalm.


    Danielrangthedoorbell.TheMartinezeshousekeeper,Jenny,openedthedoor.Shewasmomentarilytakenabackbythecrowdonthedoorstep<b>,</b>includingShannonandLily.Ms.Martinez,whyareyouback?¡±she<b>asked</b>.


    Hereyesthentell<b>on</b>ShaunbehindShannon.¡°Mr.Knight,you¡¯rehere<b>too</b>?¡±


    Shehadn¡¯tseenLoid¡¯strueappearance,soshedidn¡¯tgreethim


    With juaingtothehouseeverydaytodiscusssendingLilyback,JennyautomaticallyignoredLilyLily<b>didn¡¯t</b>mind<b>Jenny¡¯s</b>Indifference.


    ¡°Ms.Lopez,wherearemyparents?¡±Shannon¡¯sexpressionwasgloomy.


    ¡°They¡¯rehome.Ms.Goldberg<b>and</b>Mr.Martinezarealsohere-


    JennyhadonlysaidhalfofhersentencewhenSusanInterruptedheruponwalkingover.¡°Jenny,whoisin?¡±


    Susan¡¯seyeswidenedindisbeliefwhen<b>she</b>sawthemanstandingatthe<b>door</b>.¡°Loid?Whatbringsyouhere?quick,pleasein.¡±


    HerfeaturesstiffenedassheturnedtoJennyandsnapped,¡°<b>Mr.</b>Laurierishere!Whyhaven¡¯tyouinvitedhimin?Whyareyoustandingheredoingnothing?¡±


    AsLoidandhipanionsenteredthehouse,awaveofbtedrealizationwashedoverJenny.Herfaceturnedpale<b>,</b><b>and</b>shelookedvisiblyshocked.Sherealized thatthepersonshehaddismissedwasactuallythelegendaryLoldLaurier.Shefeltextremelyconcernedaboutwhattodonext.


    ThemomenttheMartinezfamilybeardLoidhadarrived,theyscrambledtotheirfeet.Eachofthemwasstunnedbythesightofhim.


    Susanhadn¡¯ttoldthemthatLoid¡¯sfacewasn¡¯tdisfigured,<b>so</b>whentheysawhim,theywereallspeechless.Juliawasthefirsttoreact,invitingLoidtositdown


    Snappingoutoftheirsurprise,therestoftheMartinezfamilymembersalsobegantofawnoverLoidinvariousways,


    Loidsatonthecouchwithhislegs<b>crossed</b>,ncingattheMartinezfamilymembers.Hiscoldlipspartedslightlyashesaidinanonchnttone,¡°Don¡¯tbother.I¡¯mnothereas aguest¡±


    TheMartinezfamilymembersweretakenabackbyhisbluntnessandquicklysatdown.


    Juliasatinthemiddlewithastrainedsmileonherface.¡°Loid,whatbroughtyouhereste?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    HersmilefalteredwhenshesawShannonandLilyreturntogether.Abadfeelinggnawedat<b>her</b><b>.</b>IthadtobesomethingShannondidthatoffendedLoid.Thiswas<b>because</b>onlyShannonhadbrought backherlippagewhileLilyhadnone.


    Despitethetension,sheforcedasmile


    ¡°Earliertoday,SusancuttieswithLilyatthehospital.SincetheMartinezfamily<b>has</b>nothingtodowithmyfianc¨¦eanymore<b>,</b><b>I</b>personallysentyourdaughterback,¡±Loldsaidcalmlyashecedone<b>hand</b>onhislegandtappeditslowly


    Hiswordswerecalm,buttherewasachillinessinhistone.Loidrarelyspokemuch,buttoday, hewasmakinganexception.


    However<b>,</b>hiswordssentshiversdownthespinesofeveryoneintheMartinezfamily.


    WhenLilyenteredtheresidence,shewasstillharyfromherrecentcarnap.AftertakingaseatbesideLoid,hereyelidsstarteddroopingwithdrowsiness.AjoltofsurpriseranthroughherwhensheheardLoid¡¯swords.


    ShawnandDanielsatquietlybesidethem.Neitherofthem daredtointerfere


    ¡°TheLaunerfamilyhasnoobligationtoraisesomeone¡¯sdaughterwhohasnortiontous,¡±daughteroftheMartinezfamily,pleaseraiseheryourselves.¡±


    ¡°<b>Loid</b>stated,hisgazesweepingoverthe<b>Martinez</b><b>family</b>.¡°SinceShannonisthe


    Uponhearingthis<b>,</b>Juliaimmediatelybecameanxious¡°Lold,theremustbesomemisunderstanding,LilyistheMartinezfamily¡¯sadopteddaughter.Howcouldwe<b>possibly</b>cut<b>ties</b>withher?That¡¯sabsolutelyimpossible!


    ¡°Besides<b>,</b>youtwoarealreadyengaged.Wouldn¡¯titbeinappropriatetobreakofftheengagement?


    Susanhurriedlyexined,¡°That¡¯sright.Loid, Iadmitthatmyattitudeearlierwasn¡¯tgreat,butIwouldnevercuttieswithLily.Afterall<b>,</b><b>she¡¯s</b>mydaughter<b>.</b>¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter36


    SusanredatLilyfiercelyasshespoke.Shehadnevermentionedcuttingties.ItwasLilywhoimedshewasdonewiththeMartinezfamily.


    Despiteherbury,shewasawarethatLoidhadnotonlytakenherwordstoheartbutevensentShannonandLilybackSheknewherprioritywastoappeasehim.IfLoidwasseriousaboutbreakingofftheengagement.SusanknewfullwellthatherlifeinMartinezResidencewouldbea livinghell.


    ¡°WhotoldyouIwasbreakingofftheengagement?Loidasked,<b>his</b>gazemeetingJulia¡¯swith anunreadableexpression.


    Juliawastakenaback.After<b>a</b>momentofrealization,shesighedinrelietandsaid,¡°Imust¡¯vemisunderstoodyourintentions.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,youhave,¡±Loidrepliedashestoodup.Histallfigurewaselongatedbytheroom¡¯slight.Asteelyglintenteredhiseyesas<b>he</b>continued,¡°InconsequenceoftheMartinezfamilycuttingtieswithLily,I¡¯llbewithdrawingmyinvestment¡±


    What!


    Juliastaggered,nearlylosingherbnce.


    ¡°Loidwithdrawstheinvestment,theMartinezfamilywillbefinished,¡±shethought.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Laid,youcan¡¯tdothis!WithdrawingyourinvestmentwillruintheMartinezfamily!¡±


    PanicseizedtheMartinezfamilymembers,theirvoicecedwithurgencyastheypleaded,¡°Loid,pleasereconsider.Yourinvestmentisveryimportanttous.¡±


    LoidtookLily¡¯shandandledheroutpletelyignoringthem.


    ShaunandDanielroseandfollowed<b>close</b>behind.


    SeeingLoid¡¯sunwaveringstance,Jugrewfrantic.HervoicewastremblingwithrageassheppedSusanacrosstheface.¡°Youbastard!WhogaveyoupermissiontocuttieswithLilywithoutmyconsent?Whorunsthishousehold,youorme?GoapologizetoLilyimmediately!!!


    ¡°Mother,I..¡±Susanclutchedhercheck,hereyeswellingupwithtearsofinjustice.


    ThethoughtofapologizingoncemoretoLily,thatwretch,madeherstomachchurn.Wherewasherdignitysupposedtogoin thisridiculoussituation<b>?</b>


    Besides,shehadneversaidshewantedtocuttieswithLilKickingLilyoutwithoutanybackupnwouldn¡¯tbesomethingevenshewoulddoinherfoolishness.


    ¡°What¡¯sthematterwithyou?Don¡¯tyouunderstand?Lilyisoneofus!Apologizetoherimmediately,orgetout!¡±Julia¡¯semotionsgrewmoreagitatedasshewatchedLoidwalktowardthedoor.


    Shehadstruggled hardtoachievehercurrentrtionshipwiththeLaurierfamily,andshewasdeterminednottoletitberuinedbecauseofLily.Atthispoint,shewoulddesperatelyhaveSusankneeldownandapologizetoLilyaslongasthatwaswhatit<b>took</b>


    Hearingthis,Susancouldn¡¯tcarelessaboutherprideanymore.SherushedouttochaseafterLily.¡°Iwaswrong!I¡¯msorry!Ididn¡¯t meantocuttieswithyou.PleaseforgivemeandhaveLoidletthismattergo.¡±


    Susanwasn¡¯tparticrlyarrogant.EverythingshepossessedcamefromtheMartinezfamily.IftheMartinezfamilykickedherout,she¡¯dbeleftwithnothing.


    SusanknewshehadtoapologizetoLilyandswallowedherpride.


    Lilyhadherhandsinherpocketsandherheadhunglow.Herfacewascoveredbyhercap,makingitimpossibletodiscernherexpression.


    Sheliftedherheadslightly.Hervoicebarelyawhisper,shesaid,¡°It¡¯sme.Iwanttocuttieswithyou.¡±


    Susanfroze.Afteralongsilence<b>,</b>sheforcedasmile.She<b>said</b>,¡°Sillychild,whatnonsenseareyoutalkingabout?I¡¯myourmother.We¡¯reboundbyblood.That¡¯sanunbreakablebond.Howcanyoujustcuttieslikethat?¡±


    Susantriedtomaintainheposurewithasmile.Shepleaded,¡°Don¡¯tbeangryanymore.I¡¯llmakeituptoyou,andIpromisetotakegoodcareofyourgrandmothertoo.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter<b>37</b>


    LilygaveSusanadismissivelookandgotinto<b>the</b>carwithoutsayingaword,


    Desperatelypoundingonthecardoor,Susanpleaded,¡°Lily,Ibegyou,pleaseforgiveme.¡±However,herpleas fellondeafears.Lilyremainedsilent,offeringnoresponse


    shaunpulledherasideandscoffed,¡°You¡¯rereallyshameless,aren¡¯tyou?YoumercilesslyberatedherinfrontofBelindathisafternoon,andnowyou¡¯redemeaningyourselfbybeingforyourowninterests?Howlowcanyougo?¡±


    ShaunwastrulydisgustedbySusan.Hecouldn¡¯tbelievethatamothercouldtreatherownchildlikethat.Therewassimplynooneworse.


    SusanwastooafraidtolookShaunintheeye.Sheloweredherheadandremainedsilent.


    Loidmerelyncedatherbeforeopeningthecardoorandgettingin.ShaunandDanielfollowedsuit,ignoringSusanaswell.


    Assoonasthecardroveaway,Juliastormedout.Grabbinghercane,shestartedhittingSusanwithitwhileyelling,¡°Youjinx!HowcouldtheMartinezfamilyhaveendedupwithadaughter¨Cinwlikeyou?Youruinedourinvestment!Whydon¡¯tyoujustdie?¡±


    ¡°Mother,itwasn¡¯tme!¡±Susancried.Julia¡¯sblowstruckherhard,leavingherbackwith<b>a</b><b>dull</b>ache.Thoughshecouldn¡¯trightback,Susanexined,¡°IneversaidanythingaboutcuttingtieswithLily.She actedonherown.Pleasebelieveme.


    WitnessingSusanbeingbeaten,Shannonclenchedherhandstightlytogether.Hereyeswerezingwithanger.Shestruggledtocontainherfuryforalongmoment<b>before</b>finallyquellingit.


    ShannonrushedtoJulia¡¯sfeet,tearsstreamingdownherface¡°Grandma,<b>please</b>don¡¯thit Mom! Iknowshewouldn¡¯tdoanythinglike that.ItmustbeLily.She¡¯sstillresentfboutMomnotraisingher,soshe¡¯stryingtoburnLoidagainstus,¡±


    AsShannenrushedover,shedeliberatelykneltrightunderJulia¡¯scane.Startledbythesuddenmovement,Juliacouldn¡¯tstopherswingintimeandthecaneidentallystruckShannon¡¯sface.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    JuliaquicklystoppedandpulledShannenup.¡°Shannon,yousillychild,whywouldyourushoutlikethat?Comehere,letmeseewhereyou¡¯rehurt.¡±


    Shannonburiedherfaceinherhands,shakingher<b>head</b>andsobbing¡°Grandma,I¡¯mfine.Ijustcan¡¯tbeartoseeMombeingpunished¡±


    Unsureofwhatto<b>say</b>,Juliasighed.


    Afteramoment,Juliarememberedsomething andasked,¡°Bytheway,what¡¯sbeengoingonwithyouthesepastfewdays?Whyhaven¡¯tyoubeenabletocharmLoid?Whydidhe


    Castyouout<b>?</b>


    JuliaknewShannonwell.Obedientandsensible,shepossessedacharmthateffortlesslywonpeopleever.Shewasalsobeautiful,whichshouldhavesmittenLoid.


    ButLoidwouldratherchooseLilythanShannon.Thisseemedutterlybizarre.


    ¡°Grandma,it¡¯sallLily¡¯sfault!Sheframedme!<b>¡±</b>Shannonsobbedevenharder.¡°Iwenttotakecareofheroutofkindness,butshetookadvantageof<b>Loid¡¯s</b>favor.Shetreatedmelikeaservantandscoldedmeconstantly.


    ¡°Idon¡¯tknowwhy,<b>but</b>Loidjustlikesher.EvenhismotherfavorsLily.NomatterwhatIdo,theyalwayslookdownonme.¡±


    Juliawasstartled¡°Mrs.LaurierisinLagersfield?¡±


    Shannonnodded.¡°Yes,shecamethedayafterwemovedin.She¡¯sveryfondofLily.Sheevenwantedtocastmeoutthatday,but1managedtostayafterputtinginalotofeffort.¡±Julia¡¯sfrowndeepenedintoagrimexpression.ItseemsLilyisn¡¯tasinnocentaswethought.We¡¯veallbeenfooledbyher.¡±


    Shannon<b>sobbed</b>.¡°Grandma,whatarewegoingtodonow?Loidhatesmeevenmorenow.¡±


    ¦§


    Julsortedcoldly.¡°Inthatcase,<b>we</b>mustholdontoLoideventighter.Don¡¯tworry,Shannon,I¡¯llfiguresomething<b>out</b>.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡±


    Aftertheyenteredthehouse,Shannonlookedtowardthefrontdoor.Hertearsinstantlystopped<b>as</b><b>a</b>glintofdeterminationshedinhereyes.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter38


    OntheirwaybacktoAmerHeights,Shauncould¡¯tcontainhisfrustrationatSusan¡¯sbehavior.HeturnedtoLilyandasked,¡°Isthatreallyyourmother?


    Lilyproppedherchinonherhand,acheekygrinspreadingacrossherface¡°Yes,that¡¯sher.¡±


    Shaunsquinted,ponderingforamomentandthenblurtingout,¡°I<b>can¡¯t</b>helpbut feelSkeyou¡¯readopted.Whydon¡¯tyougoforapaternitytest?¡±


    Hecouldn¡¯tshakethefeelingthatSusanandLilyweren¡¯tbiologicallyrted.Whatkindofmothercreatedherownchildlikethat?


    Abandoningherdaughteratbirthwasbadenough.ButSusanevenbroughtLilybackforherowngain.IfshewasdeterminedtohaveLilyinherlife,sheshouldatleasttreather


    However,Susan<b>not</b>onlylookeddownonLilybutalsothreatenedherateveryborn.Wasthishowamother<b>should</b>behave?


    itwerehim,he¡¯dtearhismother¡¯shousedown.He¡¯dbedamnedifhedidn¡¯t.


    ¡°Right?¡±Lilughedwithacarefreefone.


    Shauncouldn¡¯thelpbutfepangofsympathyforher.<b>In</b><b>fact</b>,Lily<b>had</b>alreadydoneapaternitytest.ThedaySusanfoundher,shehadtakenSusan¡¯sDNAforatest.Theresultsweredisappointing¨CshewasindeedSusan¡¯sbiologicaldaughter.


    ¡°Fromnowon,youwon¡¯t<b>have</b>todealwithheranymore.No<b>one</b>intheLaurierfamilywilldaretobullyyou.Ifanyonedoes,I¡¯llbeatthemupforyou.¡±Shaunderednonchntly¡°Besides,Mrs.Laurierisaverykindperson.She¡¯lldefinitelytreatyoulikeherowndaughter.Youdon¡¯tneedamotherlikeSusan.¡±


    Lily¡¯seyessoftenedatthemention<b>of</b><b>Mnie</b>.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Shehadaratherintrovertedpersonalty,whichmadeitdifficultforhertogetalongwithmanypeople.


    Growingupwithoutparents,shehadneverexperiencedparentallove.Mniewastheonlypersonbesideshergrandmotherwhohadevershownherwarmth.Whilemanypeoplewhoapproachedherhadulteriormotives,Mniewasdifferent.


    Mnie¡¯sgazeheldacalmsincerity,andtherewasn¡¯tahintofpretense.HerwarmthtowardLilywasgenuine.MnieprovidedLilywiththeaffection


    ConcernedaboutLily¡¯semotionalstate,Loidsaid,¡°Mymotherreallylikesyou¡±


    AfaintsmilecurledLily¡¯slipsasshencedathim.<b>¡°</b>Thankyou,¡±shesaidinattone.


    Loidjustlookedatherwithoutsayinganything<b>.</b>


    thathadbeenmissingin


    OnMondaymorning,LoiddroveLilytoschool.


    <b>They</b>arrivedearly,andtherewerehardlyanypeoplearoundtheschool.


    ¡°DoyouwantmetowalkyouinLoidreachedback, retningLily¡¯sckshoulderbag<b>and</b>handingittoher.


    Lilydrapedherhandbagcasuallyoverbershoulderandsteppedintotheschoolgrounds.Withfamiliarity,shemadeherwaytotheprincipal¡¯soffice


    HavinglongsincehackedintotheEmberCreekHighSchodministratioputersystem,shepossessedacopyoftheschool¡¯smap.Sheknockedonthedoor,andaslightlyweatheredvoicecalledoutfromwithin<b>,</b>¡°Comein.¡±


    Dressedinasharpcksuitandspectaclesrimmedwithwhite,Josephsprangtohisfeetonbeliftedhisheadtoseewhohadentered.


    Amomentofsurprise<b>shed</b>acrosshisfacebeforehesaid,¡°ans.Brooks?Whydidn¡¯tyouletmeknowyouwerin1could¡¯vepickedyou<b>up</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Mr.Woodley,<b>just</b>callmebymyname,¡±Lilyrespondedpolitely


    base.harmaseat


    Overwhelmedwithexcitement,Josephpulled<b>out</b><b>a</b><b>chair</b>andgesturedforhertosit¡°Please,


    Lilynoddedinacknowledgmentandtook<b>her</b>seat


    Josephpickedupthephoneandmadeatewcallstbeforehangingup


    Awaveofreliefwashedoverhim,andasmilebrokeacrosshisfaceashelookedatLilywithjoybubblingover.¡°You¡¯refinallyhere!Ithoughtyouweren¡¯ing¡±


    ¡°IjusthappenedtohavesomebusinessinLagersfieldLilyreplied<b>in</b><b>a</b>listlesstone.Itwasclearshewasn¡¯teagertodiscussitburther.


    Knowinghertemperwell,Josephremainedsilent.


    Soon,therewasaknockontheofficedoor.


    Thedooropened<b>,</b>andthreemen<b>and</b>onewomanenteredtheroom.


    soearlyinthemoming<b>?</b>I¡¯m


    AwomanstrodetowardJoseph¡¯sdeskandheldherchinhigh.¡°Mr.Woodley,¡±shecalled<b>,</b>hervoicedrippingwitharrogance.¡°Whydidyoucallmeinsoinchargeofthehonorsss.Thavetosupervisetheirmorningreading¡±


    ThiswomanwasNancyHanson,thehomeroomteacherfor12thgradess1.Knownforherarogantdemeanoraroundtheschool,shehadbeenleadinghonorsssesforthepast fiveyears


    TheotherthreemenalsogreetedJoseph


    JosephgesturedtowardLilyseatedoppositehimandintroducedher,¡°Letmeintroduceournewtransferstudent,Lily.Whichofyouwouldliketotakeherinto<b>your</b>s


    Nancy<b>raised</b>aneyebrowatLily.¡°Atransferstudent?It¡¯sbeenoveramonth<b>since</b>thesemesterstarted,andmidterms<b>are</b>justaroundthecorner.Whywouldshetransfernow?


    Whiletheotherthreeteachersdidn¡¯tshare<b>Nancy¡¯s</b>skepticism, theyremainedperplexe


    Kownforhisstrictadherencetorules,Josephhadneverpersonallyintroducedastudentinall<b>his</b>years.Yettherehewas,personallyhandlingLily¡¯stransferprocuri.


    withanunreadableexpression,JosephslidLily¡¯sstudentrecordsacrossthe<b>desk</b>.¡°Here¡¯sthefile¡±


    Nancyflijged?topenandgasped.¡°Sheraftedallthesubjects<b>?</b><b>You</b>can¡¯tbeserious,Mr.Woodley!¡±


    ¡°DoIlooklikeI¡¯mjoking?¡±jourphrabbedaseyebrow,thenpickeduphisthermos.Hetookasipoftea,hisexpressionremainingonehanged.


    ¡°HowdidsomeonewithsuchgradesgetintoEmberCreekHighSchool?Nancy¡¯sexpressionhardenedassheasked,¡°Mr.Woodley,you¡¯veneverpulledanystringsbefore.<b>What¡¯s</b>goingonthistime?¡±


    Joseph¡¯sexpressionremainedunchanged,¡°Well,shehadsomeunforeseencircumstancestyearandcouldn¡¯ttaketheentranceexams.However,I¡¯vetestedhermyself,andherscoresmeettherequirements.¡±


    PuttingdownLily¡¯srecords,Nancydered,¡°Idon¡¯twantherinmyss.¡±


    <b>Joseph</b>turnedtothethreemaleteachers.Lookingatthem,heasked,¡°Whataboutthethreeofyou?¡±


    Thesethreemaleteacherswerealsohomeroomteachersforthehonorssses.


    FennelHayeswasthehomeroomteacherfor12thgradess2.


    BruceDawsonwasthehomeroomteacherfor12thgradess3


    ¡°Idon¡¯twanttoeither¡±FennndBruceexchanged<b>nces</b>beforedecliningaswell


    Thepressureofthe12thgradewaspalpable,withalltheteachersthrowingtheirallintogettingtheirstudentstoscorewellintheuingexams,


    EventhoughJosephhadconfirmedLily¡¯sadmissionbasedonherentranceexamresults,theteacherswerestipprehensive.WhatifLily¡¯sworkinssturnedouttobefarbelowexpectations?Woulditdragdownthe<b>group¡¯s</b>averagescoreandhindertheiroverallperformance?


    ¡°Inthatcase,handherover,¡±demandedJohnEverton,thehomeroomteacherofss18,


    Amongthefourteachers,Johnstoodoutastheoldestandmostexperienced


    Alreadyinhis50s,hehaddedicatednearlyhisentirelifetoEmberCreekHighSchool


    However,hiscollegeadmission<b>rate</b>waslow.Ontheotherhand,hehadbeenteachingthelower¨Cperformingandmostdifficult¨Cto¨Chandlesses.


    JosephlookedatLilyandasked,¡°Willyougo?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡±repliedLily.


    JosephpersonallywantedLilytogotooneofthetopthreesseswhereshecouldlearnmore.However,thehomeroomteachersofthosessesrefusedtoepther,andJosephcouldn¡¯tforcethem.


    ¡°Alrightthen.Mr. Everton,she¡¯sinyourcarenow.¡±


    JohnacknowledgedhimandledLilytogetherbooksanduniform.Lilywalkedveryslowly,<b>as</b>ifshewasdeliberatelyslowingherpacetomatchJohn¡¯s.


    Johnwasolder,andhisstaminacouldn¡¯tkeepupwiththeyoungerstudents,sohewalkedveryslowly.Tohissurprise,Lilywaswalkingbesidehim¡­HeturnedhisheadtolookatLily.


    Dressedinckwith<b>a</b>cappulledlow,sheheldherheaddown.Therewasanairofdefianceabouther,makingherseemlikesomeonenottobetrifledwith


    Chapter14

 Chapter 39

    <b>Chapter</b>39


    In12thgrade,sses17and15wereconsideredthebottomof<b>the</b>barrcademically.


    Notonlydidthestudents<b>in</b>thesetwossesstruggleacademically,buttheywerealsodifficulttomanage.Fightsanddisturbanceswereadailyurrence.


    Manyteacherswerereluctanttoteachstudentsinthesetwosses.


    Thereweretworeasonsforthis.First,thestudentswereindeeddifficulttomanage.Second,EmberCreekHighSchoolwasmoreyears,ithadtransformedintoaneliteacademyduetoaninfluxofchildrenfromwealthytamilies.


    Justaprestigiousinstitution.Inrecent


    Withlimitedslotsavable,childrenfromordinaryfamiliesoftenfoundthemselvesedgedoutbytheoffspringofwealthyfamilles<b>unless</b>theyexcelledacademicallyThoughmoststudentsinhonors<b>sses</b>camefromaveragebackgrounds,afewcamefromprivilegedfamilies.However,toboostgraduationratesandmindinizedisruptions,<b>teachers</b>generallypreferredtofocusonstudentsfromthehonorsses.


    Meanwhile,studentsinremedialsseswerelefttofendforthemselves


    Withherheadhanginglow,LilyfollowedJohnintoss18.TheLacus noisethatfilledtheairfromthessroomwaslibleevenfromthehallway.


    AsJohnpushedopenthessroomdoor,thenoiseinstantlyceased.Thestudentsallsatdownquietly.


    ¡°Goodmorning,Mr.Everton,¡±thestudentsstoodupandgreetedJohn.


    TheirpollinedemeanorcontrastedsharplywiththerumorsLilyhadheardaboutthem.Lilyraisedhereyesand scannedtheorderlyssroom.


    ¡°Haveaseat.¡±


    Johngesturedwithachuckleandawave ofhis hand.¡°Letmeintroduceyoutoournewtransferstudent.¡±TemingtoLily,hecontinued,¡°Whydon¡¯tyouintroduceyourself?¡±Lilyliftedhereyelidsslightly.Shehadastackofbookscradledinonearm,andherotherhandwastuckedinherpocket.Hereyeswereveiledby thebrimofhercap


    Partingherredlips,shenonchntlyutteredtwowords,¡°I¡¯mLily.¡±Withaneasygoingvibe,shestoodthere casually.


    <b>Yet</b>,therewassomethingaboutherthatkeptpeopleatadistance,especiallythewayhershoulderbaghungonhershoulder.Sheseemedbothcool<b>and</b>aloof


    EveryonestaredatLily.Manystudentsgasped,momentarilystunned<b>into</b>silence.Justwhowasshe?


    Shewassimplytoobeautiful!


    Herlonghaircascadedoverhershoulders,andacap perchedslightlyatopherhead.Thoughhereyeswereobscured,hersharplydefinedfeatureswerebreathtakinglybeautiful.Her<b>skin</b>waswlesstoo.


    Dressedentirelyinck,sheappearedaloofwithonehand<b>casually</b>tuckedintoherpocket.Herpostureexudedaquietauthoritylikeastreetboss.


    Awaveofmurmurs sweptthroughtheotherwisequietssroomasgaspsandwhisperserupted.¡°Holycrap,she¡¯sstunning!¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Seriously,thatfaceisoutofthisworld!She¡¯sevenprettierthanShannon, ourschoolbelle!¡±


    <b>¡°</b>LookslikewehaveanewbelleinschoolTM


    Atthebackofthessroom,aboyturnedtothepersonbehindhimandasked,¡°Tan,wheredidthisgirefrom?Doyouknowher?


    The personheaddressed<b>was</b>fanFletcher,thesonoftheFletcherfamilyinLagersfield


    InLagersfield,theFletcherfamilyheldthemostprestigiousposition,wieldingimmensepowerandinfluence,<bn</b>ncedatLily,tryingtorecallifhe¡¯d<b>ever</b>mether.¡°I¡¯veneverseenherbefore,¡±heconcluded.


    Withclean¨Ccutfeaturesandadashofroguishcharmyingonhislips,heexudedan<b>air</b>of<b>casual</b>confidence.


    ¡°Ithoughtshewasfromoneofyourexclusivecircles.Withherstunninglooks<b>,</b><b>her</b>familymustbequitewealthy.Howelsecouldshebe<b>so</b>beautiful?¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    TheonespeakingwasSeanLarson<b>,</b>whosefamilyranasmallbusiness.ustomedtoalifeofort,heviewedprettygirlsasproductsovishspending.


    Laproppedhischinonhishandandponderedforamoment.Heknewmostofthepeopleinhiscircle,buthecouldn¡¯trecallevermeetingLily.¡°Shemustbefromanothercity,¡±


    Janroluded


    ¡°That¡¯sapossibility,¡±Seanagreed,turningbackwithoutanotherword.


    Chapter40

 Chapter 40

    Chapter40


    Johntappedonthedesk.¡°Alright,let¡¯sstopthechatter.Ournewssmatehasjustarrived,solet¡¯sallbeweing.¡±


    ¡°Noproblems,Mr.Everton,¡±thestudentsrespondedrespectfully.Nooneopposedhim.


    Pointingtoanemptyseat,JohnInstructedLily,¡°YoucansitnexttoAnyaMosleyfornow.¡±


    Lilyfollowedhisgestureandlookedtowardthegirlheindicated.Withbouncingpigtailsandagentledemeanor,thegirlexudedanairofcuteness.


    Lilynoddedandwalkedoverdirectly.Shefoundherseatbythewindowquitepleasant.


    <b>With</b><b>a</bnguidair,shetossedherbookscarelesslyontothetableanddrapedherschooluniformoverherchair.Leaningbackin herseat,shebecameunabashedlyengrossedinherphone.


    JohnwatchedLilyyonherphone.Hewasabout<b>to</b>callherout,butseeinghercoldexpressionandunapproachabledemeanor,hedecidednottosayanything.


    Despiteherslenderframeandaveragebackground,one mightexpecthertobeeasiertogetalongwiththanthoserichkids.Yet,forsomereason<b>,</b>Johncouldn¡¯tshakethefeelingthatLilywasevenmoredifficulttodealwiththananyofthem.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Lilyhadastrikingpresence.Themomentshesteppedintotheroom,<b>all</b>eyeswereonher.


    Asshescrolledthroughherphonerightin frontofJohn,someoftheguyswereimpressed.¡°Wow,thatgirl¡¯sgotguts,¡±theywhispered.


    Butsomeofthegirlsweren¡¯ttoofondofher.Atthebackofthessroom,ashort¨Chairedgirlsaidtoherlong¨Chairedfriend inahushedvoice,¡°She¡¯ssprettyface.What¡¯sshesoproudof?


    Thelong¨ChairedgirlburnedherheadtonceatLily.Hereyesdartedaroundnervously,butshedidn¡¯tsayanything


    AnyawantedtogreetLilybutfoundbytoointimidating.Lilyalsoalwayshadastemexpressiononherface,whichmadeAnyahesitanttospeak.


    Attheendofss,Anyahesitantlysaid,¡°Hi,mynameisAnyaMosley¡±


    soarrogant.Allshehas<b>is</b><b>a</b>


    EventhoughJohnhadalreadyintroducedAnya,shestillfelpelledtointroduceherselfpersonallyasacourtesy.ShewasquitenervousandafraidthatLilywouldbeunhappy.¡°Hello!¡±Lilyturnedtoherandncedatherwithasmile.


    Anyawasstunnedonthespot!¡°Lily¡¯s stunning!¡±shethought.Hersmile wassobeautiful.Furthermore,sheseemed easytotalkto,notnearly<b>as</b>intimidatingasshe¡¯dimagined.Anyaletoutasighofreliefandsaidwithasmile,¡°Ifyoudon¡¯tunderstandanything,youcanaskme.I¡¯llhelpyouasmuchasI<b>can.</b>¡±Hersweetfacewasentuatedbyasmilethatdeepenedherdimples,whichmadeherevenmorecharming.


    Lilyputawayherphoneandsaid,¡°Olcay.¡±


    <b>Since</b>Lily<b>didn¡¯t</b>seemlikeshewantedtotalk,Anyadidn¡¯tbotherheranymore.


    Shehadthoughtthatasanewtransferstudent,Lilywouldwanttogettoknowherssmatesfirst.ButLilysimplytookoutapairofheadphonesfromherbackpack,drapedherschooluniformoverherhead,anydownonthedesk<b>to</b>sleep.


    Beforeshefesleep,she<b>said</b>,¡°Don¡¯tletanyonedisturbme¡±


    ¡°Huh?Okay,¡±Anyarepliedsoftly.


    Thenewstudentwasn¡¯teasytoapproach.


    Lilysleptthroughthemorning,only<b>waking</b>uparoundnoon.Whilesheslumbered,somestudentsconsideredapproachinghertointroducethemselvesbutultimatelychickened


    <b>Dut</b><b>.</b>


    Itwasmainlybecauseshewastoointimidating.


    Asthe<b>final</b>bellrangout,AnyanoticedLilywasstisleep.Sheraisedherhandslightly.TheurgetowakeLilywasstrong,butherhandhoveredinmid¨Cairasshedidn¡¯tdaretotouchLily.


    JustasAnyadebatedwakingLily,shestirredawake..


    Anya¡¯sgazecaughtLily¡¯sattention.Lilyraisedaneyebrowinquestion.¡°What¡¯sup?¡±


    Anyaquicklyretractedherhand¡°oh,It¡¯salreadynoon.Doyouwanttograblunchtogether?¡±


    Lilledoutherphocheckthetime.Itwasindeed12:00pm.Shehadsleptfor quiteawhile.


    Tossingherschooluniformontothechair,shereplied,¡°Let¡¯sgo.¡±

 Chapter 41

    ssoonasLilygotup,twoboyswalkeduptoher.


    ¡°Hi,I¡¯nFletcher.We¡¯ressmatesnow.JustletmeknowifyouneedanythingOurssmatesareallquiteniceandwillhelpyouout.¡±Ianextendedahand,abright<b>and</b>boyishsmileonhisface.


    Lilylifedhergaze.Perhapsbecauseshehadjustwokenup, sheappearedunsmilingandquitescary.¡°Hi¡±


    Hertonewaspolite,yetitsent chillsdowntheothers¡®spines.


    Ianwithdrewhishandssheepishlyandshedarakishsmile.¡°Areyougoingtogethunch?joinus?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±LilyarmedandstartedwalkingBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Atthebackofthessroom,theshort¨ChairedgirlfrombeforesawtanleavingwithLily.Sheturnedtothegirlwithlonghair.¡°Whydinleavewiththenewstudent?Doesn¡¯thealwayshavelunchwithyou?


    Theshort¨ChairedgirlwasAlexisArmstrong.Herfamilyranasmallbusinessandwassomewhatrich.


    Thelong¨ChairedgirlwasHeatherMaynardfromLagersfield.TheMaynardfamilywasthethirdmostaffluentfamilyinLagersfield.However,theyweredifferentfromtheFletcherfamilyandtheMartinezfamily.


    TheMaynardsstartedoutintheunderworld.Theywerewell¨Cknownto botw¨Cabidingfolksandcriminals.NoteventheFletchersandtheMartinezesdaredtocrossthem.HeatherwasEmberCreekHighSchool¡¯sbullyAlexiswouldusuallyfollowheraround,actingallhighand mighty


    ¡°Lily¡¯ssly.She¡¯sjustapretty<b>face</b>,andfanisimmediatelytakenwith her.Heather,youcan¡¯tlethergetawaywiththis.¡±Alexisappearedindignant.


    HeatherncedatLily¡¯sback,hercoldeyesglintedbriefly.Shewithdrewhergaze.¡°Let¡¯sgo.¡±


    ¡°Heather¡­¡±


    Alexishadmoretosay,butHeathershotheracoldlook<b>,</b><b>so</b>shestopped.


    Lagersfieldwasacitywithbusytraffic.


    EventhoughEmberCreekHighSchoolwaslocatedinthecitycentermutingbackandforthwould takeanhour.Itwas toorushed,especiallyforseniors.Thus,mostseniors


    hadlunch inschool.


    Lilyandhergroupwereslowertogetto<b>the</b>cafeteria.It waspackedwhentheyarrived.Themomenttheyentered,manyeyesturned<b>to</b>them.Discussionsimmediatelybegantobuzzthroughtheroom.¡°Damn,thatgirlissopretty.Whatgradeisshe<b>in</b>?Whyhaven¡¯tseenherbefore?¡°Meneither.Shedoesn¡¯tlooklikeastudentatourschool¡±


    ¡°Ian¡¯swithher.Couldshebn¡¯sgirlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Woah!Jan¡¯sgirlfriend?ThenwhataboutHeather<b>?</b>Isn¡¯tshegoingtoflipout?


    ItwamonknowledgethatHeatherlikedtan.Allthegirlsatschovoidedspeakingwitnalone.Itwouldnotendwellforthemotherwise.


    Heatherwasnotadelicateandsweetdaughterofanaffluentfamily.ShewasfromtheMaynardfamily.EveryonewasawarethattheMaynardsprimarilyengagedinillicitbusiness,NooneinLagersfielddaredtooffendtheMaynards


    Theconversationswerequiteloudlycouldhearthemclearlywherevershewent.


    Herbrowsknittedtogether.Shelookedratherannoyed.


    ThiswaswhyshedidnotwanttogotoschoolPeoplewouldalwaysstareandtalkabouther.


    theloweredhercap,andherdemeanorgrewevenmoreintimidating.EvenAnyabesideherwasinexplicablyaffectedbyhersuddencoldness.


    ¡°Youshouldgofindaspotandsitdown.I¡¯llgogetyourfood,¡±AnyawhisperedtoLily.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Anyancedan.Shedared<b>not</b>speaktohim,


    Lilynoddedandsaid,¡°Thank<b>you</b>.¡±


    Anyasmiledsweetly.¡°You¡¯rewee.¡±


    Afterapause,shelookedan.Shewanted<b>to</b>remindLilytonotstaywithhim.Howevernhadbeentrailingbehindthem,soshecouldnot


    Anyawenttogetfood.Onthewayback,somerippedherup.Shelostherfootingandlurchedforward,fallingtotheground.Foodwasstrewnalloverthefloor.


    Lilywaslookingatherphonewithherheadbowed.Whensheheardthenoise,shelookedup,andhereyesnarrowed.


    Tannoticedthmotionaswell.HewasabouttoflyintoaragewhenSeangrabbedhim.¡°Tan,that¡¯spackDalton.It¡¯sbetterifyoudon¡¯tgo.¡±


    TheFletcherfamilywasquiteformidableinLagerstick,butLagersfieldwasnothinparedtoBridgeport.


    JackDaltonwasthesecondsonofBridgeport¡¯sDaltonfamily.HewasatyrantinEmberCreekHighSchool


    IanhadshedwithJackbefore.Withintwodays,theFletcherfamily¡¯panyranintoproblems,andthevalueoftheirstockplummeted.EveryoneknewitwasJack¡¯sdoingUnfortunately,therewasnothingtheFletcherscoulddo.


    Janwasevenreprimandedbyhisfamilymembers.Hewastoldnottooffendjack


    Pressinghislipstogethernmmedafistonthetableandgrowled,¡°Tack!


    Meanwhile,Anyawastryingtogetupwhensomeonesuddenlysteppedonherhand.Hereyesimmediatelytearedupfromthepain.Regardless,shedarednotcry.Ifshedid,thebullyingwouldgetworse


    ¡°Anya,areyouignoringwhatIsaid?¡±JacksteppedonAnya¡¯shandforcefully,hiseyesbrimmingwithcontempt.¡°Itoldyouthatyou¡¯renotallowedtoeatatthecafeteria<b>,</b>didn¡¯t1?DoyouthinksomeoneislowlyasyourselfdeservestoeatinthesameceasIdo?Thenerve.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯msorry.Imadeamistake.¡±Anyaenduredthepainwithoutarguing.Shedidnotdaretoargue


    Jacklookeddownonthepoor,andAnyawasfromarurrea.Shehadnocetostayinthecity,soshecouldonlystayin<b>the</b>schooldormandhavehermealsatthecafeteriaHowever, afterJackhadbumpedintoheronce,hedespisedherstatus.Hethoughtshedidnotdeservetoeatinthesameroomaspeoplefromtheupperss,soheoftenbulliedher.


    Hewouldbullyhereveryfewdays.AllAnyacoulddowasendureit.


    Evenduringlunch,she<b>would</b>waitfurtivelyoutsidethecafeteria.OnlyafterJackleftdidshedaretogoinside.Shedidnotdaretoeatthereeither.Aftergettingherfood,shewoulddashbacktothedorm.


    Shehadnotnnedtogotothecafeteriathatday.However,shehadtoshowhernewssmatearoundtheschool.


    ShehadnoticedthatJackwouldonlyheadtothecafeteriaat12:30pm.SheassumedthatifshetookLilythereearlier,shewouldnotbumpintoJack.Unfortunately,thatwas not


    thecase


    jackcroucheddownandgrabbedAnya¡¯shair.¡°Asifapologizingdoesanygood.Sincemywordsareineffective,youshouldpreparetofacetheconsequences.¡±


    HeflungAnyaawaybeforestompingonher.


    Ian,whowasnearby,shotupwhenhesawthat.Hiseyeswereamewithanger.¡°He¡¯sgone


    goofar.Ican¡¯ttolerate


    Seanquicklypolledhimback.¡°<b>You</b>haveto.Ordoyou wanttoruintheFletcherfamily?¡±


    ¡°1¡±anappearedlivid


    Lilywastestingherhandonthetableasshewatchedthescenewithacoldgaze.Theairabouthergraduallyshifted,growingcolder.


    Shecastanceattan,putherphoneintoher<b>pocket</b>,andslowlygotup.


    Whenfannoticedthat,hepanicked.¡°Lily,whatareyoudoing?Comeback!¡±


    However,Lilyignoredhim.Withacialpace,shemadeherwaytoAnya.


    <b>Jack</b><b>had</b>liftedhisfrettokickAnyawhenLilysuddenlyreachedoutandspedhisleg.¡°Since<b>you</b>can¡¯tcontrolit,I¡¯lljustdisableat.¡±withthat,shetightenedhergrip.Therewasacrack,andjackscreamed.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter43


    Clutchinghisleg<b>.</b>Jacklosthisbnce andfelltotheground<b>.</b>


    LilyhelpedAreaupcalmly.Anyawasatalossforwords.


    Ithadhappenedsosuddenlythateveryonewasstunned,Jack¡¯sscreams<b>finally</b>snappedthemoutoftheir<b>trance</b><b>,</b><b>and</b><b>they</b>staredindisbeliefatLily.


    IanandSeanstoodince,gobsmacked.Afteralongwhile,Seanfinallygulpedandsaid,¡°Damn,Jan.She¡¯sruthless!¡±


    Seanshookoffhismildstaporandgaveaworriednod.¡°Yeah.That¡¯sjack, afterall.Hislegwasbroken.Hewon¡¯tletheroffeasily¡±Afterabeat,headded,¡°Butdidshereallycripplehisleg?With¡­¡±


    Seanmadetwogestureswithhishands.¡°Withthosetwomoves,hislegisimpaired


    IanfurrowedhisbrowsandlookedatJack.¡°Judgingby<b>his</b>agonizedexpression,it¡¯sprobablydisabled.¡±


    Atthat,anlookedatLily,wonderingwhoshewas.ShewasnotevenafraidoftheDaltonfamilyofBridgeportandevendaredtodisable<b>Jack¡¯s</b>leg.tan¡¯sgazegrewinquisitiveMeanwhile,Jack¡¯ckeysregainedtheiposureandquicklyhelpedJackup.


    Enduringhispain,JackredatLily. ¡°Where¡¯dyoefrom,bltch?¡±


    Lilyliftedhergazeandcasthimacoldlookthatmadefackshudder.Herestrainedhishaughtiness.¡°Whichtamilyareyoufrom,Miss?¡±


    Jackwascocky,buthewasnotafool.


    NobodyintheentireEmberCreekHighSchooldaredtocrosshim.Lilydaredtoimpairhisleg,whichprovedthatherbackgroundwasn¡¯ttypical.IfshewassomeheDaltonfamilycouldn¡¯toffend,hewouldhavetoletthisgo.


    LilygavehimacursorynceWithahandinherpocket,shelookedatJackroguishlyandsaid,¡°DriftwoodBay,theBrooksfamily.LilyBrooks.¡±


    ¡°W¨CWhat?¡±Jackthoughthehadmisheard.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Heleanedagainst hickeyandheldhislegwithonehand.He couldhardlyremainupright.


    *Jack,DriftwoodBayisasmallvigeinAeston,¡±ckeysaid.HemovedclosertoJackafter ncingatLily.¡°Iheardthataverybeautifulstudenttransferredtoourschool.LilyBrooksmight¡¯vebeenhername<b>¡±</b>


    Afterthefirstperiodinthemorning,thenewsthatanexceptionallybeautifultransferstudenthadarrivedinss18quicklyspreadthroughoutEmberCreekHighSchool.Manystudentsevenwenttocheckoutthe excitement


    However,Lillywasslouchedoverhertableatthattime,sleeping.Noonecouldseeherface.


    <b>Jack</b>wasbusythatmorninganddidnotarriveuntilthstperiod.Hehadnotlearnedofthisyet.


    Afterhearingthathespatoutthewords,¡°Afuckinglowlifelikeyouhastoaudacitytoattackme?Haveyougotadeathwish?¡±JackshovedhickeysawayandpointedatLily.¡±I¡¯llmakeyouregretattackingme.¡±


    Atthat,heorderedhickeys,¡°Guys,takethembothtothefield¡±


    Anya,whohadbeendumbstruck,cametohersenses.Trembling,sherushedtojackandkneltbeforehim.¡°Jack,it¡¯sallmyfault.Ithasnothingtodowiththenewstudent.PleaseIrthergo<b>¡±</b>


    JackppedAnya.¡°Lethergo?Mylegisdisabled.I¡¯mgoingtokillher!¡±


    Anya¡¯sfacepaled,andhertearsfloweduncontrobly.¡°Shedidn¡¯tdoitonpurpose.I¡¯mbrazingyou,pleaseforgiveher.I¡¯llpayforyourmedicalexpenses.¡±


    AnyahadattendedEmberCreekHighSchoolforthreeyears<b>and</b>hadbeenbulliedtheentiretime.Noonehadeverdefendedher.Everytimeshewasbullied,everyonewouldstayJaraway.


    Shedidn¡¯thaveanyfriends.Whoeverbecameherfriendwouldbebulliedaswell.She¡¯dbeenusedtobeingaloneforagoodwhilenow.


    ShewashappywhentheteacherassignedLilyasherdeskmate.Eversinceshestartedgettingbullied,shehadneversharedadeskwithanyone.ShehadnointentionofmakingfriendswithLily.SheknewfullwellthatbefriendingLilywouldonlyhurtLily.

 Chapter 44

    chapter44


    AnyahadnnedtodistanceherselffromLilyaftershowingheraroundtheschool.SheneverexpectedLilytostandupforherandevenmaimJack¡¯slegwhenhebulliedher.Whileshewasdeeplytouched,sheknewtheycouldn¡¯taffordtooffend Jack


    ShehadtobegformercyforLily.<b>She</b>wasdeterminednottoletLily<b>get</b>hurt.


    ¡°You¡¯llpay?¡±Jack<b>spat</b>onAnya¡¯sface.¡°Doyouthinkyouhaveenoughmoneytopayup?


    Lillyliftedhergazeslightly,hercoldeyesglinting.<b>She</b>slippedasilverneedleintoherpalm.Thenextmoment,herdemeanorhumedicy.N?velDrama.Org content.


    AnyonefamiliarwithherwouldknowthatshewantedJackdead.


    Lilymadetomoveforward,bunpulledher back<b>.</b>¡°Holditin.Youmayhavepowerfulbackers,buthaveyouconsideredhersituation?<b>Her</b>familyisnotwell¨Cofforinfluential.Ifyouhelphertoday,she¡¯llfaceevenmoreseverebullying¡±


    ¡°Isthatso?¡±LilyncedatJancoldly.


    Shespunaround,sprintedahead,andseizedJack¡¯sneck.Herholdwasforcetal,andJackimmediatelystruggledtobreathe.


    Startled,hickeysnearbyshouted,¡°Whatareyoudoing?LetJackgo!¡±


    ¡°Howdareyouattackhim!TheDaltonfamilywillnotspareyou!¡±


    IanandSeanjoltedwithshockaswell,theirjawsdroppingopen.


    NobodyexpectedthenewstudenttotakeonEmberCreekHighSchool¡¯sbullyonherfirstday.Moreover,shewasnotafraidintheslightest


    tansuddenlyfoundLilytobequiteimpressive.


    Withakick,Lilybroughtjack¡¯ckeysdown.Sheraisedherhand,andJackwasheldalott.Atthat,everyonefellsilent.


    Jack¡¯sfacewasnched,andhiseyeswererollingback.Heseemedtobeonthevergeofdeath,JustasJackthoughthewasactuallyabouttodie,Lilyloosenedhergrip,andJackdroppedtotheground.Lilylookeddownathimwiththebearingofaqueen.¡°Anyaisundermyprotection.¡±


    Ifthishadhappenedinthepast,Jackwouldbedead bynow,givenLily¡¯stemper.


    Nheless,shedidnotwantto<b>make</b>toomuchtrouble,soshesparedJack¡¯slife.IfJackcontinuedtopushhisluck,Lilywouldn¡¯tbesoeasyonhimthenexttime.LilypulledAnyaaway


    Thecrowdthathadgathered<b>quickly</b>dispersed.Noonedaredtostopher.


    Clutchinghisneck,JackfranticallypulledinbreathsandpointedatLily.¡°You!Iwon¡¯tletyougetawaywiththis.I¡¯llyourentirefamily.¡±


    Lilystoppedwalkingandtamedtolookathim,herexpressionnk,¡°Ihaveagrandmother.She¡¯satthehospitaldowntown.Ifyou¡¯renotafraidofdying,gothere.¡±


    Bridgeport¡¯sDalton<b>family</b>heldnosignificancetoLily.ShedoubtedtheheadoftheDaltonfamilywoulddaretokillherentirefamily.


    Lilywasjustabouttoleavewhenthevoiceofagirlrangout,¡°LilyBrooks,you¡¯resocockyfromthemomentyouarrivedatEmberCreek.Haveyouconsideredhowyourtimeat<b>school</b>willgo?


    ItwasHeather.Slowly,shewalkedtowardLilywithanimposingpresence.


    Shewasrtivelytall.Atfivefootseven,shewasaheadtallerthanLily.ShelookeddownatLily.¡°EmberCreekHighSchoolisnotyouryground.¡±


    TalysedandpushedAnyaforward,¡°TouchherGoon.¡±


    ¡°Idoit!I¡¯mnotafraidofyou.<b>¡±</b>


    IntendingtopleaseHeather,AlexisraisedherhandtostrikeAnya.Atonce,Lilygrabbedherhandandgaveitafirmsqueeze.Herhandbecameincapacitated.


    Alexisimmediatelyscreamed<b>.</b>


    Heathernarrowedhereyesasshefeltherbloodruncold.


    LilytookholdofAnyaandturnedtoleave,butHeather¡¯speoplestoppedher.


    ¡°Lethergo!¡±Heathersaidexpressionlessly.Onlythendidtheymoveoutofherway.Lilyand<b>Anya</b>left,leavingbehindamessinthe<b>cafeteria</b>.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter65


    WhenAnyaleftthecafeteria,shewasstillinastateofshock.


    DanandSeanfollowedLilyoutinsilencentookapeek atLily,tryingtoreadherexpression.Hehadexpectedhertobeanxiousorevenafraid.


    Tohissurprise,shewasnot.Herfacewasicy,andherbackwasstraight.Shelookedproud.


    ¡°Thankyou.¡±Anyafinallysnappedoutofhertrance.Sheloweredherheadandsaidinasmallvoice,¡°Butyoushouldn¡¯thave<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Withasigh,shedroppedtherestof thesentenceandasked,¡°Whatshouldwedo?Jackwileafteryou.Maybeweshouldtelltheteachers<b>.</b>¡±


    LilywastextingLoid.Whensheheard<b>Anya</b>,sheliftedherhead.¡°Whyshouldwedothat?


    Shehadbeenpreupiedwithsendingatextearlier,soshemissedthefirstpartofAnya¡¯swords.


    ¡°Attheveryleast,theteacherswilldefendyou.Wereallycan¡¯taffordtocrossJack.Idon¡¯twanttogetyouintotrouble.¡±<b>Anya¡¯s</b>expressionwas<b>grim</b>.LoldhadrepliedtoLilyLilydippedherheadandtypedoutafewwordsquickly:¡°Getafewbodyguardstoprotectmygrandma.I¡¯llcoverthecost¡±Aftersendingthemessage,Lilyputherphoneaway.ShesethercoldeyesonAnya¡¯sface.HerstaremadeAnyauneasy.


    ¡°W¨CWhatisit?¡±AnyaassumedshehadattendedLilysomehow.Sheimmediatelygrewnervous


    AfterstaringatAnyaforawhile,Lily<b>suddenly</b>grinned.¡°Let¡¯sgo,Iprotectyoufromnowon!


    Anya¡¯sheartinstantlywarmed<b>.</b>ShelookedupatLily¡¯sface,whichwasbathedinsunlight.Lilywasstunning.


    Despiteherearlieranxiety,Anyafeltcellewedforsomereason.ShebelievedLilywouldbealright.


    NearbynrubbedhisforeheadinexasperationafterhearingLily¡¯sboldwords.Hegaveheragentlereminder.


    ¡°DoyouknowhowpowerfulBridgeport¡¯sDaltonfamilyis?YouparalyzedJack¡¯slegtoday.Theyreallywillmakeyoupayforitwithyourentirefamily¡¯slife.Youcan¡¯tstandseeing


    afellowstudentbeingbullied,buthaveyouconsideredhowthefalloutwillbetoomuchforyoutohandle?


    Lilytiltedherheadup.Shelookedatfan,herexpressionsomewhatdevilish.¡°<b>So</b>he¡¯sgotmoney<b>and</b>power.Andthat¡¯swhyyoujustwatchasotherstudentsgetbulled?¡±


    Jan¡¯sfaceflushed.Hedippedhishead,embarrassed.¡°Twanttohelptoo,buttheFlescherfamilyipletelyoutmatchedbytheDaltonfamily¡±


    Lilyletoutachuckleandignoredhim.PullingAnyaalong,sheturnedandwallordaway.


    Lookingatherback,Lanfeltdeeplyconflicted


    After<b>a</b>longwhile,hecaughtupwithLily.Hisexpressionwassolemn. ¡®¡®tadmitthatI¡¯mabitofa<b>coward</b>.Ichoosetodisregardmanythingstoavoidcausingtroubleformyfamily.Lily,I¡¯mnotasgoodasyou.¡±


    He¡¯dmadeuphismindwithafirmresolve.¡°Iwon¡¯tdrawbackthistime.I¡¯llprotectyouandAnya.IfJackgivesyouanytrouble,Iwon¡¯tgoeasyonhim.¡°¡±


    Tamfeltashamed<b>at</b>howhehadbeenlivinghislife..


    Withnofearofthoseinpower,<b>Lily</b>savedAnyafromjackonherfirstday inschool


    Lilyncedathimindifferently.¡°Watchoutforyourselffirst¡±


    Aftershesaidthat,herphonechimeditwasamessagefromLoid:¡°Whohaveyouoffended?


    Lilypromptlytestedback:¡°Bridgeport¡¯sDaltonfamily.¡±


    Loid¡¯sreplywasswift<b>as</b>well:¡°Noted.Don¡¯tworry.¡±


    ThatmessagetookLilybysurprise.Shesmiled,thenreturnedherphoherpocket.


    TheincidentinthecafeteriathatafternoonquicklybecameknownthroughoutEmberCreek.EventheHeadofStudentAffairs,CorvinaFrias,wasalerted.


    IntheStudentAffairsOffice,Corvinaheardthereportfromastudent.Sherubbedhertemplesandasked,¡°WhereisJackDaltonrightnow?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯satthehospital,¡±thestudentansweredhonestly.¡°ordingtothedoctor,hislegismostlikelyirreparable.¡±


    Chapter46All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter46


    Corvinadrewinalongbreath.Thiswasnominorincident.


    Shefurrowedherbrowsandaskedagain,¡°WhataboutAlexisArmstrong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯satthehospitswell.Herrighthandisfractured.¡±Thestudentwasevenalittlesearedastheyspoke.


    TeenagersroughhousingatschoolwasnothingnewtoCorvina.Still,nostudenthadevergonesofarastodisableanother,


    TheyfoundLilyratherastonishing.Shortlyafterherarrival,sheincapacitatedtwostudents.OneofthemwaseventhescionofBridgeport¡¯sDaltonfamily.Thestudentdidn¡¯tevendaretoimaginewhatwouldhappentoLily.


    ¡°Alright.¡±Convinahadreachedapointofeptance. ¡°Youmayleave.¡±


    Afterthestudentlett,CordaquicklycalledJoseph.


    ¡°Mr. Woodley,areyouintheoffice?Corvina<b>sounded</b>quite<b>anxious</b>.


    ¡°Yes.¡±Ontheotherendofthecall,Joseph¡¯smirewasgravelly.


    ¡°I¡¯mheadingoverrightnow.¡±Corviapracticallyrantheentirewaythere.Shedarednot<b>dawdle</b>


    ThismatterwasbeyondherjurisdictionasHeadofStudentAffairs.Ithadtoberesolvedbytheprincipalhimself


    Corvina knockedatthedoor.OnceJosephresponded,sherushedinandquicklyinformedJosephofeverything.


    ¡°That¡¯sit?¡±JosephlookedatCorvinacalmly,hismurkyeyes cid.


    Corvina<b>was</b>takenaback.Whytheprincipalwasnotatanxiouswasbeyond<b>her</b>.


    TheDaltonfamily¡¯sscionwasinjuredatEmberCreekCorvinafearedtheywouldn¡¯tbeabletoquelltheDaltonfamily¡¯srage.


    ¡°Mr.Woodley,thisisquiteserious.Yououghttoquicklydecidehowtodealwithit¡±Convinawasfrazzled.


    ¡°What¡¯stheretodecide?¡±JosephcastCorvinaasidelongnce,pickeduphisfountainpen,andcontinuedtowritewithhisheaddown.Hewasserene.¡°Letthemdealwithitontheirown.It¡¯snotthefirsttimeJackhasbulliedafellowstudentinschool.It¡¯s<b>a</b>goodthingsomeonepulledhimdownapeg¡±


    ¡°But..he¡¯sfromtheDaltonfamily,¡±Corvinasaid,worried


    Josephlimedhisgazeslightly.¡°So?Hegetstodowhateverhewants inschoolbecausehe¡¯saDalton?Corvina,you¡¯vebeenwithEmberCreekforovertenyears.<b>I¡¯m</b>sureyou¡¯venoticedthestateofitinrecentyears<b>.</b>


    ¡°Ifthiscontinues,EmberCreekwillceasetobeaceofeducationbutratherasteppingstonefor<b>those</b>scions.Doyouwanttoseetheceyou¡¯veworkedatforoveradecadeturnintothat?¡±


    Josephhadpennedasingleline.Hehadnotwrittenitwell;it<b>was</b>slightlyskewed.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Hedecidedtojustsetthependown,<b>pick</b>upamugoftea,andtakeasip


    Corvinaopenedhermouthandthensighed.¡°Iunderstandaswell.InEmberCreek,mostofthestudents<b>,</b>aswestheteachers,arefromaffluentfamilies.EmberCreekis<b>entirely</b>differentnow.Givenitscurrentstate,isitreallypossible<b>for</b>ustochangeit?WhatiftheDaltons showuptomaketrouble?¡±


    Shecontinued,¡°YoupersonallyrecruitedLilyBrooks,right?IftheDaltonsgo afterher,whatareyougoingtodo?¡±Josephncedather,indifferent.¡°TheDaltonswon¡¯tdaretogiveLilytroubleunlesstheywanttovanishfromBridgeport¡±Corvinafroze.A suddenrealizationcametoher.¡°WhoisLily,exactly?¡±


    Josephshedanoddsmile.<b>¡°</b>She¡¯ssomeheDaltonfamilycan¡¯tmesswith.¡±


    Atthat,Josephwavedhishandandsaid,¡°Alright,youcanreturntoyourwork.Allyouhavetodoiswatchfrom<b>the</b>sidelines.¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter47


    Chapter<b>47</b>


    Thatafternoon,thestoryofLily¡¯sdeedappearedonEmberCreekHighSchool¡¯sforum.


    Inlessthantenminutes,thmentsectionwasfloodedwithresponses.


    ¡°Damn!ShehasnofearofcrossingMr.Dalton.Thisnewstudentisawesome!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯velit<b>a</b>candleforher.She¡¯ssodead¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s</b>sopretty.Whyputherselfindangerbyprovokinghim?


    MostofthmentswerediscussinghowJackwouldpunishLily.However,mostpeopleweresecretlyapudingLily¡¯sactions.N?velDrama.Org content.


    <b>Jack</b>hadbulliedmanystudentsinEmberCreek.Yet<b>,</b>sincetheirfamilieswerenomatchfortheDaltonfamily,theycouldonlysufferinsilence.Everyonehehadbulliedwasecstaticthatsomeonehadsteppedforwardtofixhim.


    Nevertheless,theywereafraidtosupportLilyopenly.Afterall,Jackwouldstillbeatschool.Noonewantedtobepunishedbyhim.


    ItwasNancy¡¯sEnglishssintheafternoon.


    Thess18studentsseemedtoshowlittlerespectforteachersotherthanJohn.


    DuringNancy¡¯sss,theywerenoisy<b>and</b>undisciplined.Somewereslouchingovertheirdesks,<b>sleeping</b><b>,</b><b>and</b><b>others</b>werechattingOnly<b>a</b>fewwerepayingattention.


    Nancywastozytobringthestudentsofss18undercontroleither.Afterteachinginhastefor<b>half</b>aperiod<b>,</b><b>she</b><b>assigned</b>someworktothestudents.


    Havingslepttoomuchinthemorning,Lilywasnottiredintheafternoon.Shepulledherphoneoutandyedsomegames.


    Whileshewasying,ajarringringtonesounded.Lily¡¯shandfroze.Shehadforgottentosetherphosilent


    AfterncingatthecallerID,Lilygotup¡°Ms.Hanson,<b>I</b><b>have</b>totake<b>a</b>call.¡±


    Shewasbeingratherpolite.However,itcameacrossasarrogantandbrassytoothers.


    Nancylooked<b>up</b>fromthelectern.Herexpressionwasfurious.¡°Thisisassroom, notyourhome.Doyouthinkyou¡¯refreetodoasyouplease?Sitdown.Ifyourphonestartsringingagain,gostandinthehallway


    Nancyhadalwaysdespisedstudentsofss18.Though<b>she</b>couldn¡¯tbebothered todisciplhem,shewouldn¡¯tletanyofthemdisrespecthereither.


    Shethoughtthatsince Lily<b>had</b>shownsucharroganceonherfirstdayofschool,shecouldnotbelenientwithher.Otherwise,Lilywouldgetworse.


    Lilywithdrew<b>her</b>gazeandtappedafewtimesonAnya¡¯schair,askinghertomove.


    AnyaquicklystooduptoletLilyout


    CompletelyignoringNancy,Lilywalkedoutwithherphone<b>.</b>


    ¡°You!Comebackhere!¡±Nancywaslivid.


    Thessroom,ontheotherhand,wasin<b>an</b>uproar.


    ¡°Howcool!She¡¯s notevenafraidtotakeacallinNancy¡¯sss.¡±


    ¡°Whycan¡¯tIbeasballsyasher<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Regardlessofhowimpressivetheirfamilieswereorhowboldtheywere,EmberCreek studentshadtoobeytheirteachers.Iftheywentoverboard,theschoolcouldpunishthem.


    Lilywenttothebathroom,enteredthe innermoststall,andshutthedoor.Afterturningthevoicechangeron,shefinallyeptedthe<b>call</b>


    ¡°Talk¡±Thistime,thevoicechanger<b>altered</b>hervoicetothatofayoungman.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯velocatedwhatyouaskedmetofind.¡±ThecallerwasElliot.


    Lily¡¯sbodystiffened.Herspinewas<b>as</b>straightasaramrod.¡°Whereisit?¡±


    Theexcitementinhervoicewaspalpable.


    ElliothadneverheardLily<b>sound</b>soenthusiasticbefore.

 Chapter 48

    <b>Chapter</b>48


    ¡°Bridgeport¡¯sWeissfamily?¡±


    Lilypursedherlips.<b>¡°</b>Howdowegetit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯snotforsale.Apparently,theWeissfamilynstoauctionitoff.TheWeissfamilyisn¡¯tdoingaswestheyoncedid.Theirfundsarerunninglow.Theywanttorecovermoreoftheirmoneythrough theauction,¡±Elliotsaid


    Aftera<b>pause</b>,hecontinued,¡°IheardthatwhentheWeissesputthewordout,manyexpressedinterestintheauctionrightaway.Furthermore,allofthoseindividualshavehighsocialstanding.Evencertainelusivefamiliesareonthemove.¡±


    Lilynarrowedhereyes,herexpressioncold.¡°HowmanydoestheWeisseshave?¡±


    ¡°One¡±hotbrowned.¡°Theexacttimeoftheauctionisunknown,butthestartingbidhasbeenleaked.It¡¯sonebilliondors<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Isitpossibletoacquireanadmissionticket?Lilylookeddown.Hervoicewassomewhat<b>hoarse</b>.


    ¡°<b>Alchos</b>caneasilygetthat.¡±


    ¡°alright,thankyou¡±Lilynabbedherforehead.Shewonderediftheamountofmoneyonhercardwouldbeenough.


    Thestartingbidwasonebilliondors.Evenwithtenbilliondors,shemightnotbeabletogetit


    Moreover,thosereclusivefamilieshadbeenalerted.Thatmadeobtainingitmuchmoredifficult


    Elbotsighed.¡°Youdon¡¯thavetothankmeforthat.You¡¯reamemberofAlchos,K.You¡¯reourfamily.Whateverhappens,youhavetheentireagencytobackyouup.¡±Therewasapause,andElliotadded,¡°Also,youdon¡¯tneedtoworryaboutthemoney.We¡¯llputtogetherenoughforyou.¡°¡±


    ¡°Noneed¡°Lilyforrowedherbrows.¡°Givemealloftheworkifthereisany.¡±


    Itappearedthatshe neededtomakesomemoney.


    rdays.¡±


    Arthat,Ellioughed¡°TheKknownfortreatingmoneylikedirtisactuallyaskingforworkbecauseofmoney.IfPantherandtheothersfindout,they¡¯llbughingforaLlyfrowned.¡°Youtalkwaytoomuch.


    Whenshehung up,the<b>ss</b>wasalreadyover


    Lilyputherphoneinherpocket<b>and</b>walkedout.


    Whenshereached theentranceofthebathroom,shebumpedintoShannon,whowasabouttoenter


    ¡°Lily?¡±ShannonwasclearlysurprisedtoseeLilyhere.


    Somethingcameupathomeinthemorning,soshewasn¡¯tatschoolshehadjustarrivedand<b>hadn¡¯t</b>heardaboutLily¡¯sdeedsyet.


    ¡°Doyouneedanything?¡±Lilylinedhergaze.Hereyeswerequitecold.


    Lily¡¯sicydemeanorannoyedShannonthemost.Shannon¡¯seyesglintedbeforeshequicklyconcealedheremotions.<b>With</b>asmile,shesaid,¡°You¡¯re<b>at</b>school.DidLoidhelpyouwiththeenrollment?¡±


    Shannondidn¡¯tbelieveLilycouldgetarmendationletterfromJoseph.Besides,Liamhadyettousehisconnectionstohelpherenroll,soShannonassumedLilycouldgetinbecauseofLoid.


    Lilysaidnothing.ShequirkedabrowasshelookedatShannon


    ¡°Loidisquiteimpressive.He¡¯sevenabletoconvincetheprincipal.Lily,sinceLoidhelpedyougetin,<b>you</b>shouldworkhardtoproveyourself.Don¡¯tembarrasstheMartinezfamily.


    Shannonsoundedearnest.Allherwords seemedtobespokenoutofconcemforLily.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Lilysmiled,yetitwasn¡¯tgenuine.¡°TheMartinezfamily¡­What¡¯sitgottodowithme


    Shannonstiffened.Holdingbarkheranger,shecontinuedtosmile.¡°Iknowyou¡¯reupsetthatMomabandonedyoubackthen.Duringallthoseyears,I¡¯vebeenlivingapamperedlifewhileyouweresufferinginthevige.


    ¡°Butthat¡¯swhatourparentsdid.We¡¯restillbiologicalsisters.Stopbeingsodistantwithme,please?¡±


    Shannonpursedherlipsbeforecontinuing,¡°Besides,Momistryingherbesttomakeituptoyoujustforgiveher.Shedidn¡¯tmeanwhatshesaidthatday.¡±


    Lilyliftedherchinslightly.Therewasacoldglintinher eyes,andhervoicewaschilling.¡°Whoisshetodeservemyforgiveness?¡±


    ¡°Lily¡±Tearswelledupinshannon¡¯seyes,makingher lookpitiable.¡°Eventhoughshe¡¯smademistakes,shegaveyoulife.¡±


    Lilycouldn¡¯tbebotheredtocontinuethisconversation.¡°Move.¡±


    Shannonrefused,soLilyshovedhersideandleftwithoutlookingback


    AfterLilyleft,agirlstandingbesideShannonasked,¡°Shannon,whoisshe?She¡¯squitebeautifulSheseemsabitarrogant,though.¡±


    Anothergirl<b>chimed</b>in,¡°YeahYousaidyouweresisters<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    Shannonloweredherhead,lookingquiteaggrieved.¡°She¡¯smyhalf¨Csister,LilyBrooks.<b>We</b>sharethesamemother<b>,</b>Somethinghappenedinourfamily whenwewerechildren,soshegrewupinavige.<b>She</b>hasjustbeen<b>brought</b>back,butshehatesmeandourmom.¡±


    Sheheavedasigh.I¡¯mnotevensurewhenshe¡¯llforgiveus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯snotevenyourfault.Asoneofthegirlsspoke,somethingurredtoher.Sheeximedinshock,¡°You<b>said</b>hernameisLilyBrooks?¡±

 Chapter 49

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Chapter49


    Shannonncedatthegirl,confusedbyherexpression.Still,shenodded.


    ¡°Youdon¡¯tknow?Atnoon,yoursistercrippledJackinthecafeteria.ShefracturedAlexishandtoo.TheysaythatJackisinthehospitnd<b>that</b><b>the</b>doctorssaidhislegisirreparable.¡±


    shannonwasstunned.Indeed,shedidnotknowaboutthat,


    Afaintsmileappearedonherface,butshehiditsowellthatnoonenoticed,


    tperson


    Withherheadlowered,sheletoutasmallsigh.¡°She¡¯sbeenbroughtupinavigesinceshewasachild.She¡¯dalwaysskipschondgetintofights.She¡¯snottheeasiestptobearound.Givenhertemper,there¡¯snotellingwhatkindofbigtroubleshe¡¯llgetherselfinto.¡±


    <b>Shannon</b>wascertainLilywouldpayapriceforoffendingJackdespitehavingLoldtobackherup


    Jack¡¯sfamilyheldahighsocialstatusaswell.ShedoubtedLoidwouldshwiththeDaltonfamilyforafianc¨¦ehehadn¡¯tknownforlong.OnceLoidstartedtoresentLily,Shannonwouldgetherchance.


    Ashort¨ChairedgirlpattedShannon¡¯sshoulder,¡°Quitworryingabouther.Itdoesn¡¯tseemlikeshetreatsyouashersister.Whycauseyourselfunnecessarydistress?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯sright.SincesheoffendedJack,itwon¡¯tendwellforher.It¡¯sagoodthingfor hertobetaughtalesson.Sheshouldalsobeawarethatyou¡¯retheonewho¡¯stheMartinez<b>family¡¯s</b>heir,¡±<b>another</b><b>girl</b>advisedher.


    Shannonlookeddownandsaidsoftly,¡°Don¡¯tsaythat.Afterall,she¡¯sstillmysister.¡±


    Afterschool,LilygaveAnyaherpersonalphonenumber.ShealsotoldAnyatocallherifsheneededanything


    Anyamerelynoddedanddidn¡¯tsayanythingelse.


    Lilyknewthatevenifanythinghappened,Anyawouldn¡¯tcallher.So,sheapproachen.


    ¡°Helpmeout.¡±Itdidn¡¯tseemlikeshewasaskingforhelpatall,consideringherbrashattitude.


    Regardless,tanwasexcited.¡°Aslongasit¡¯swithinmycapacity,I¡¯lldlyhelpyou.¡±


    H


    Lilyhadreprovedtan<b>at</b>noon.Sincethen,hehadbeentellingdown.Fortheentireafternoon,Lilyhadnotspokenawordtohim,soheassumedshewasfedupwithhim.Heneverimaginedshewouldaskhimforhelp.


    ¡°Doyouknowanyoneinthedorms?Lilyaskedcasually.


    Allstudentsenjoyedformingcliques.ItwasespeciallytrueforthoseatEmberCreek.Thoughtancouldn¡¯tbeatjack,hestillhadhisconnections.


    Lannodded<b>.</b>¡°YA.¡±


    ¡°HelpmekeepaneyeonAnya.Ifanyonegiveshertrouble,tellme.¡±Lilygavetanherphonenumber.


    <b>Lan</b>noddedenthusiastically,¡°You¡¯vegotit!¡®


    Afterabeat,heasked,¡°Bytheway,whyareyousonicetoAnya?Thisisthefirsttimeyou¡¯vemet,right?Whyareyousoeagertoprotecther?¡±


    Lilyshed<b>a</b>smile.¡°Takeaguess.¡±


    Hersmilewasasbrilliantasthesun.Itwasbreathtakinglybeautiful.


    wasdazedforawhile.Whenhefinallysnappedoutofhisstupor,Lily<b>had</b>alreadywalkedaway.


    Hehurriedtocatchupwith her.WalkingbesideLily,hesaid,¡°Tobehonestwithyou,you¡¯requitepeculiar.It¡¯sobviousfromthewayyou¡¯redressedthatyou¡¯renotfromthecity.Butyouoperatelikeahiddenbigshot.¡±


    Lily<b>had</b>beenlookingatherphone.Hearingthat,sheraisedherhead<b>,</b>ncedathim,andthenreturnedtoherphone.


    Leisurely,Lilyanswered,¡°I¡¯m notinterested.¡±


    ¡°No!Youareinterested¡±Ianfixedheraparticrlyseriousexpression.


    Lilywasspeechless<b>.</b>Ianremindedher ofshaun


    tanwasnotaspridefs Shaun.HeignoredthefactthatLilylookedathimhewasanidiot.


    ¡°YouwanttoprotectAnya,don¡¯tyou?Bemyboss.We¡¯llruleoverEmberCreek.Thenevenifyou¡¯renolongerhere,noonewoulddaretomesswithyourpeople.¡±¡°You¡¯reright¡±Lilyputherphoneawayabsent¨Cmindedly.


    Chapterou

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Thrilled<b>, </b>tan asked, ¡°You agree, then?¡°!


    Lily stopped and turned back to look at him. ¡°No.¡±


    While talking, they arrived at the school entrance. Lily had wanted to take a cab back, but Loid insisted on giving her a ride. However, something came up on their way to his car, so he asked her to wait for a few minutes.


    tan was still rambling on beside Lily. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Please think it over..L¨CLily, behind you¡±


    Lily turned around. Over 30 men in ck suits were standing behind her. They surrounded her and Ian.


    One of them stepped forward. His face was expressionless as he looked at Lily ¡°You paralyzed Mr. Dalton¡¯s leg?¡±


    With a smirk, Lily put her hands in her pocket, which made her look tough. ¡°<b>Are </b>we fighting one¨Con¨Cone, or am I fighting you all at the same time?¡±


    Seeing that there were so many of them,n was somewhat terrified. Nevertheless, he mustered his courage and shielded Lily behind him. ¡°If you want to fighther, you must <b>first </b>go through me.¡±


    Lily quirked her brow and <b>said </b>nothing


    The suited man looked at them coldly. ¡°Since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, we¡¯re not going to hold back.¡±


    He told the people behind him, ¡°Madam said to break both of her legs. <b>As </b>for the boy, since he asked for it, break one of his legs.¡±


    Ian shuddered.


    Lily grabbedn¡¯s clothes and yanked him back, causingn to move back a few steps.


    As she adjusted her ck satchel, her expression <b>grew </b>sober. The air around her became chilling


    A ck car <b>was </b>approaching from <b>a </b>short distance away.


    In thecar, Daniel noticed themotion at the school entrance and eximed, ¡°<b>Loid</b><b>, </b>Ms. Brooks is in danger!¡±


    Lold turned toward the school entrance, his expression tuming cold ¡°Stop the car.


    Loid and Shaun immediately exited the car while Daniel looked for a ce to park. They hurried over. Suddenly, they stopped in their tracks.


    with widened eyes, Shaun stared at the scene before him in disbelief.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Then, he turned to look at Loid. ¡°<b>Loid</b>, is your wife even human?¡±


    Not far away, Lily darted forward. She <b>was </b>moving so fast that the others could only <b>catch </b>a glimpse of her afterimage.


    Every one of her attacks was lethal. If she hadn¡¯t been going easy on them, some might have been dead at that point. In less than three minutes, 30 meny strewn all over the ce. All of them were curled up on the ground, greaning in pain.


    A strange expression appeared on Loid¡¯s stern face. His eyes narrowed <b>into </b><b>a </b>thin line.


    Lily was a good fighter. She didn¡¯t appear to have received professional training. However, Loid noticed that every one of her attacks was lethal


    <b>He </b>agreed with <b>Shaun¡¯s </b>previous words. His fianc¨¦e, whom he <b>had </b>acquired for nothing, was a treasure. She had brilliant medical skills; she could fight well; and her worth was over billions of dors.


    Loud wondered if she had any other remarkable identities.


    Lily looked at the suited men on the ground and put her imposing demeanor away.¡±


    <ol>


    <li>y. With great indifference, she said, ¡°Go back and tell Yannick Dalton that if he still can¡¯t keep his</li>


    </ol>


    son in check<b>, </b>l¡¯Udestroy him.¡±


    Beside her,n was gobsmacked.


    For the first time, his brain was unable to process what was happening. To him, Lily looked less like a high school student and more <b>like </b>a special agent.


    She heard everything, Lily had said. He turned to Lold. ¡°How does she know the name of the Dalton family¡¯s head? Besides, it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s attaid of <b>him </b>at all.¡±


    ¡®s eyes glinted. He did not answer Shaun Instead, he walked toward Lily, paying no heed to the fallen men <b>on </b>the ground

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Casually, Loid took Lilly¡¯s satchel and her hand. His voice was gentle as he asked, ¡°Are you hungry?


    He said nothing about <b>what </b>had just happened<b>.</b>


    ¡°A little,¡± Lily answered <b>nonchntly</b>. It was as if the incident earlier <b>had </b>never urred.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some food.¡±


    Liby nodded <b>in </b>silence and followed Lold into the car.


    Behind her, <bn </b>waspletely stunned<b>.</b>


    While in the car, <b>Shaun </b>had a lot of questions he was itching to ask Lily. However, he did not know if he should.


    The withering looks Lily had given him scared him. It felt as if he was actually bing dumber with each stupid question he asked.


    It was quiet in the ear, and no one spoke. Loid did not ask Lily about the incident earlier either.


    the car moved for a while, Lily suddenly looked up at Loid solemnly. ¡°Do you know anyone who¡¯s on the verge of death or terminally ill?¡±


    Loid raised his brow and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing that, <b>Shaun </b>asked curiously. ¡°Why are you asking


    Lily leanednguidly against the car window. <b>She </b>gave an impassive response. ¡°I want to make money¡±


    ¡°Make money?¡± ¡°Shaun¡¯s voice grew <b>louder</b>. ¡°You have at least a few billion dors on your ck card, don¡¯t you? Why do you want to make more?!


    Lily slightly lifted her gaze. Hershes were long, and her clear eyes gave the impression that she could see through a person


    Theer of her mouth moved, and she saidnguidly, ¡°I don¡¯t have enough.¡±


    For some reason, Shaun had always found it difficult to look her in the eye. He shifted his gaze, ¡°You <b>have </b>a worth of a couple of billion dors<b>, </b>but you still don¡¯t have enough money?¡±


    Lily nced at him wordlessly.


    Shaun fixed her with a quizzical look. ¡°What do you need the money for?¡±


    ¡°To buy stuff¡± Lily hung her head. She was not in high spirits, perhaps because of the suited men.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± Shaun pulled out a card from his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve got money. Use this for now.¡±


    Once he finished speaking, he received an icy look. Then, he heard <b>Loid¡¯s </b>cold voice. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t have enough?¡±


    Startled, Shaun smiled sheepishly <b>and </b>put his card away. ¡°It slipped my mind that she¡¯s your wife.¡±


    Then, he looked at Lilly and sad, ¡°If you need money, just tell Loid. I¡¯m sure he has more than enough!¡±


    Load had personal assets worth over tens of billions of dors. Shaun assumed Lily wouldn¡¯t need too much. He was pretty sure Loid had enough to support her for the rest of her


    However, <b>Shaun </b>was proven wrong the next second. He heard Lily ask in an unhurried manner, ¡°Do you have 70 billion dors?¡±


    After giving it some thought, <b>Lily </b>decided that it would be best for her to prepare more money. That way, even if the price reached tens of billions of dors during the auction, she would have enough.


    shaun was stunned into silence.


    He thought, ¡°Are you nning to eat the money? How long will it take for you to finish yo billion dors?¡±


    Shaun pulled in <b>a </b>deep breath and asked tentatively, ¡°What is it that¡¯s <b>so </b>expensive?¡±


    He felt that being near Lily was bad for his heart. Every time she spoke, she would say something shocking.


    Lily pressed two fingers against her temples. ¡°A <b>nt</b>.¡±


    ¡°The bell?¡± Shaun was almost certain he had misheard. A nt worth 70 billion dors was mindblowing


    Lold turned his <b>head</b>, <b>giving </b>Lily a sidelong nce. Shecked her edge and appeared listless. Her expression was somewhat m.


    It was rare for Loid to see her worried. His gaze darkened.


    He surmised that the nt she mentioned was not typical.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter <b>52</b>


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lily pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before either.¡±


    Shaun was speechless. He had never been astounded by anyone but Loid, Lily was the second person to aplish that.


    Jufter being silent for a long while, Loid tapped her head twice. ¡°There are two people in need of treatment. I¡¯ll personally pay for one of them. If you save him, I¡¯ll give you ten


    billion dors.<b>¡±</b>


    Loid had plenty of money. If Lily needed money, he would give it to her.


    However, after spending so much time with Lily, Loid noticed that she was <b>quite </b>proud


    She wouldn¡¯t ept things from others for nothing. Even if he offered her 70 billion <b>dors</b>, she would decline. He might as well give her <b>work </b><b>to </b><b>do</b>.


    Lily¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up straight. ¡°No problem.¡±


    The glint in her eyes did not escape Lold¡¯s notice. He smiled. ¡°The <b>other </b>person is in Bridgeport. The rate might not be as high<b>. </b>I¡¯ll try to get it to rivebillion dors for you<b>.</b>¡±


    After a pause, Loid added, ¡°He¡¯s been paralyzed for over a decade. Be prepared.¡±


    Once Lily heard <b>that </b>she had work to do, she became spirited. Resting her chin on her palm, she pondered before asking, ¡°If I sessfully heal him, will I get more?


    Loid raised his brow. ¡°<b>He¡¯ll </b>have to give you more for my sake.


    He had underestimated Lily. She was quite confident in her medical sids.


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Loid nced at Lily, his smile widening. ¡°There¡¯s another way to earn money that you may consider.¡±


    Lily looked up at him, signaling him to continue.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°I heard that you disabled the Dalton family¡¯s scion¡¯s leg?¡± Loid lit a cigarette and leaned against the seat. His posture was rathernguid.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lily¡¯s response was matter¨Cof¨Cfact


    ¡°You could choose to heal his leg 1 The Dalton family could probably give you ten billion dors,¡± Loid drawled.


    Lily rubbed her chin and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Shaun was at a loss for words. He thought that Loid and Lily were truly a couple. One of them was two¨Cfaced while the other was cunning


    Lily¡¯s mood had Bifted, and her expression was no longer as cold.


    Shaun stared at Lily, blinking hard. It was the first time he had seen Lily so happy. She had always been as cold as Loid. He thought she looked beautiful when she smiled.


    As Shaun¡¯s thoughts continued, he suddenly felt a cold gaze pointed at lum. He shuddered and withdrew his gaze. ¡°Lily, you could use Loid¡¯s <b>money</b>, so why not<b>?</b>¡±


    As Shaun spole, he patted his chest. He thought Loid was petty for not letting him even look at Lily.


    ¡°I prefer to cam my own money.¡± Lily was in a good mood, so she did not take a dig at Shaun


    Impressed by that answer, Shaan <b>said </b>nothing more,


    1/1


    <b>Shaun </b>was the one who chose the restaurant. He was a foodie. After several months <b>in </b>Lagersfield, he had tried all of the local delicacies


    The food at the restaurant be rmended was not half bad.


    Midway through the meal, Lily¡¯s phone rang After ncing at the screen, she walked out with her phone.


    Loid was sitting beside her. He had taken a cursory nce at her phone. There was no caller ID on the screen, only a string of numbers.


    Once he saw the number, his eyes narrowed. He <b>had </b><b>a </b>good memory, and that number was somewhat familiar to him.


    Loid looked toward the entrance and then withdrew his gaze.


    *Loid, are you really going to let Lily treat him?¡± Shaun had waited until Lily had left before he asked the question. ¡°Is her medical expertise so great that she can revive the dead?¡± Shaun poured a <b>ss </b>of beer. After noticing that Lily always drank beer, he started drinking it too. He found it quite pleasant once he got used to the taste


    After taking <b>a </b>sip, Shaun continued, ¡°Nell said not. If she can¡¯t heal him, and it¡¯s exposed¡­¡±


    only Shadowbane can bring the dead back to life. If Lily is Shadowbane¡¯s apprentice, she might be able to do that. But it she¡¯s


    Loid gently drummed his fingers on the table. His stem expression showed little emotion. After mulling it over for a while, he said, ¡°Let her try¡± She sighed and took a few <b>gulps </b>of beer in frustration. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s your call.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Lily epted the call outside.


    ¡°Speak¡± Her voice was quite <b>cold</b>.


    ¡°What <b>you </b>instructed has beenpleted.¡± <b>A </b>somewhat solemn voice sounded from the other end of the call.


    Lily put a hand in her pocket and looked down. ¡°Okay. Do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°When are youing over? Numerous matters still require your decision.¡±


    Ly furrowed her brows. ¡°If I <b>have </b>to handle everything, why are you even there?¡±


    The person fell silent for a while. ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Once I¡¯m done with everything, Fllcall you¡±


    From the window at the stairs, Lily could see the streets. The sky was growing dark. Dim streetlights reflected on Lily¡¯s face through the window, making her expression appear colder<b>.</b>


    Her eyes darkened as she hung up. It seemed that she had to hurry up and findout about Jason¡¯s heart.


    After drinking over ten bottles of beer, Shaun was slightly drunk


    Lily had lost her appetite as well, so they returned.


    It was nighttime


    The world had fallen asleep, and it was quiet all around. Only the sounds of the asional wind could be heard.


    In the vi at Anmer Heights, Lily, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened her eyes. In the darkness, her eyshes trembled gently. The moonlight illuminated her delicate and cold face.


    Shecasually retrieved her clothes, put them on, and got up.


    After listening for a while and <b>making </b>sure that the vi was quiet, she finally opened the door.


    The vi was very dark. Lily pulled out her phone, turned on the shlight, <b>and </b>slowly moved to the study.


    The door to the study was not locked. Once she turned the doorknob, the door opened.


    It <b>was </b><b>a </b>neat and clean study. On either side of the wall, there were bookcases lined with various types of books on the desk was a ckptop. A sate was nearby.


    Lily crouched down and examined the safe. The safe had two lines of defense. One was a <b>passcode</b>, and the other <b>was </b><b>a </b>fingerprintlock


    After pondering for a while, she moved to theptop.


    She could easily unlock the safe, but she had no idea if an rm had been set up.


    Lily opened the ckptop and pushed the power button. Her fingers made quick taps on the keyboard. Codes shed across the screen with great speed.


    The first thing Lily did was disrupt the alert system on theptop. After ncing toward the door and seeing no movement, she resumed her search.


    Lood¡¯s desktop was very clean. Aside from a few pre¨Cinstalled programs included with the system, there was nothing superfluous


    However, that would not fool a skilled hacker like Lily. After <b>a </b>brief look, she found the hidden files in hisputer.


    There were only a few. One of them was a strictly confidential folder.


    Lily clicked on it, and over ten filles appeared. At a nce, she saw the file named ¡°Heart Donation Agreement.¡± Her eyes turned cold as she opened it.


    Once Lily <b>read </b>over the contents, she abruptly <b>stood </b>up. The astonishment in her eyes was apparent.N?velDrama.Org content.


    After some time, she sat down. Her fingers tightened around the mouse. There was a cold gleam in her eyes.


    All of a sudden, the lights in the study came on


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± A voice, impassive and faint, sounded.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54


    Loid entered. Under the moonlight, his silhouette appeared tall and lean. His contours were distinct, and his gaze was fixed on Lily.


    Slowly, he walked toward her.


    Lily turned, her cold eyes reddening. From the rapid rise and fall of her chest, it was clear that she was upset.


    Suddenly, she strode forward. Grabbing Loid¡¯s cor, she growled. ¡°Give me back his heart!¡±


    Loid¡¯s brows furrowed together. He looked down at theptop screen. At once, his pupils shrank. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, ¡°You know Jason Martinez?¡±


    <b>When </b>Jason died, Lily did note to LagersfieldBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Moreover, Lily had been raised in her grandmother¡¯s house since she was a child. She had yet to meet the Martinez family back then. Loid was puzzled as to how she knew Jason..


    Lily¡¯s face was fraught with rage. Her fingers were tight around Loid¡¯s cor, and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked frightening. ¡°You caused a car crash, took his heart, and fabricated a donor agreement. Are you still trying to hide the truth?¡±


    She let out a ghastlyugh. ¡°I¡¯ll rip out your heart to avenge him!¡±


    Lily suddenly raised her hand. Almost at the same time, Loid sensed that something was wrong and dodged. A silver needle pierced the wall behind him.


    Lily didn¡¯t throw out another silver needle. Instead, she began fighting Lold as if she¡¯d lost her mind.


    Her attacks were ruthless.


    Loid had nned to just dodge, but that was no longer possible. After a few rounds, Lily was losing, Loid grabbed her wrist. ¡°Let me exin.¡±


    Irritated, Lily swung her leg at his knee. Loid deftly avoided it and said in resignation, ¡°Can you please calm down? He isn¡¯t dead yet.¡±


    Lily froze. Her brews were tightly knitted together <b>as </b>she stared right at him. It was obvious that she did not believe him.


    Loid rubbed his forehead. He had gotten <b>a </b>headache. ¡°Take <b>a </b>seat, will you?¡±


    Lily had an incredibly short fuse. Loid feared she would destroy his house if he did not calm her down.


    After a moment of silence, Lily put her hands down, pulled out a chair, and sat with her legs crossed. Her fury had dwindled. ¡°Speak¡±


    Loid nced at her, then opened the safe. He produced a document from it, which he handed to Lily. ¡°You agreed to marry me so that you could investigate this?¡±


    Lily nced at Loid and <b>did </b>not speak


    There were two copies of the heart donation agreement. Both of them were with Loid. Another digital copy was avable in case the <b>hard </b>coples were misced.


    Loid took out <b>a </b>cigarette case from his pocket, removed a cigarette, and lit it. After taking a long <b>drag </b>and breathing out a cloud of smoke, he slowly started to speak, ¡°He signed that agreement himself. His heart was not donated to me.<b>¡±</b>


    His voice <b>was </b>calm. It held no discernible emotions.


    Lily was stunned. A cold gleam briefly appeared in her eyes, and she burst into a fit ofughter. Then, she stopped. Her gaze was sharp and chilling. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡±


    ¡°You can verify his handwriting¡± Loid stood up, leaned against the desk, and took a putt. Then, he turned and located a file in the folder.


    It was a recording.


    Loid clicked y, and Jason¡¯s weak voice sounded. ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>Jason Martinez. I¡¯m aware that I won¡¯t live. I voluntarily donate my heart and authorize Loid Laurier to help me get my affairs in order. If my family is listening to this recording, don¡¯t look for the heart. It¡¯ll be where it should be.¡±


    The voice was unquestionably Jason¡¯s. It was not at all fake.


    Lily closed her eyes and said nothing. The coldness on her face was gone. She pressed her lips together slightly. Her emotions were unclear.


    Suddenly<b>, </b>she let out a somewhat mocking chuckle.


    She had always thought that Jason¡¯s car crash was not an ident. She had assumed that the person responsible was immensely powerful and could easily take Jason¡¯s heart. <b>She </b>thought that in order to avoid trouble, they had fabricated a heart donation agreement.


    Regardless, she now felt like a fool.


    The signature on the agreement was Jason¡¯s. Even without verification, she recognized Jason¡¯s handwriting.


    It was also unnecessary to verify the recording. It was truly his voice.


    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Lily withdrew her gaze. Her voice was somewhat hoarse. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there the name of the heart¡¯s recipient


    Loid put out his cigarette. ¡°His heart was not donated. It¡¯s still inside him. Due to some reason, thad to tell others that he died after donating his heart.¡±


    Lily stood still in her all¨Cck outfit. The lights shone on her, making her look somewhat lonely.


    At that moment, Loid felt an inexplicable twinge in his heart.


    Lily frowned. After a long while, she raised her head. A venomous look appeared in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll verity it. If you¡¯re lying to me, I¡¯ll take your life to avengehim.¡±


    Loid pressed his lips together, feeling resigned. ¡°So, you saved me because you thought I had Jason¡¯s heart?¡±


    Previously, he couldn¡¯t figure out why Lily saved him but refused to heal him. He understood then. She did that for Jason.


    Loid was intrigued by Lily and Jason¡¯s unusual rtionship. Although they had never met, Lily was willing to do so much for Jason. She was willing to marry Loid for Jason, as well as save Loid for Jason.


    Wordlessly, Lily looked at Loid.


    Loid lowered his eyes. After some time, he asked, ¡°Now that you know that his heart is not with me, are you going to take back my life?¡®


    As Loid spoke, he grew frustrated.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He wanted to know what Lily and Jason¡¯s rtionship was. Were they lovers? Or perhaps siblings unrted by blood?


    As he looked at Lily, he panicked.


    Lay rubbed her forehead, stood up, and returned the agreement to Loid. She nced at him calmly and said, ¡°A hundred million dors.¡±


    Load immediately smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll transfer it to you tomorrow.¡±


    Ignoring him, Lily grabbed a bottle of beer and renamed to her room


    After opening the beer and taking a sip, she took her phone out to call Elliot


    ¡°Calling me sote? What¡¯s wrong?¡± As soon as Elliot took Lily¡¯s call, he got up and got dressed. In all the time he had known Lily, she had never called him thiste before. ¡°Help me look into Jason Martinez ¡°Lily walked to the balcony and leaned against the wall. ¡°And find out what his rtionship with Loid Laurier is,¡°¡±


    Lily had never looked into Jason. Back then, when she learned that he was in a car ident, she only investigated who had taken his heart


    She had always thought he was simply the scion of the Martinez family. She never suspected his identity. Regardless, she had to look into him now.


    She believed what Loid had told her. She simply wanted to verify it herself.


    Elliot asked, confused, ¡°Jason Martinez? Who is he?


    He had heard of Lold. He knew Loid was the scion of Bridgeport¡¯s Laurier family. However, he did not recognize Jason¡¯s name.


    ¡°The scion of the Martinez family,¡± Lily said impassively before hanging up.


    When Lily woke up the next morning, breakfast was already on the table.


    She walked over, hanging her head slightly. She did not sleep well, and her frustration was apparent on her face.


    Loid ced a ss of milk in front of her. His voice was gentle, ¡°You¡¯re still growing Drink more milk.¡±


    ilyed her gaze. With great indolence, she grabbed a slice of bread and shoved it into her mouth. Her voice was muffled as she said, ¡°I¡¯lle back to treat you tonight¡±


    Elliot had sent his findings to her phone the night before.


    Indeed, Jason¡¯s identity was not as simple as being the scion of the Martinez family.


    He was friends with Loid and Shan. On the surface, he was the scion of an affluent family, In truth, he was a member of a troop.


    Loid was the troop¡¯smander.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Jason¡¯s car ident happened during a mission. An opponent crashed into him.


    Lold wanted a marriage with the Martinez family so that he could guard the Martinezes for Jason after his death.


    Lily was a reasonable person. Since she had confirmed that the incident had nothing to do with Loid<b>, </b><b>she </b>no longer had to keep his life <b>in </b>her hands. After all, he had taken good care of her during this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Lold¡¯s band froze, and he instantly deted


    Lily gave him a neutral nce. ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Loid asked, ¡°You¡¯re my Danc¨¦e Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Does that have anything to do with me? Lily smiled, indifferent. ¡°You have an engagement with the Martinez famby, not the Brooks family.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Loid leaned in slightly, cing his lips next to her ear. With a smile, <b>he </b>said, ¡°But the person I want to marry is Lily Brooks.¡±


    His warm breath brushed against Lily¡¯s face. An inexplicable blush appeared on her cheeks


    She lowered her eyelids, her longshes trembling, Loid felt his heart clench, and his heartbeat quickened<b>.</b>


    Lily withdrew her gaze and coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to leave. I¡¯ll leave after detoxifying you.¡± <b>She </b>sounded adamant.


    Lold was somewhat impressed by her customary stubbornness,


    Rubbing his temples<b>, </b>he suppressed the frustration within him and said casually, ¡°Did your grandmaa agree to you leaving?¡±


    Lily pursed her lips. She did not respond.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to treat the two patients contacted for <b>you</b>?¡± Loid continued to ask, fixing his eyes on her. His smile was growing wider


    At that, <b>Lily </b>pped her forehead. She badpletely forgotten about that.


    ¡°Tell them toe over. I¡¯ll leave after healing them.¡± Somewhat annoyed, Lily went to the tridge to grab a bottle of beer. She did not sit down after that. Instead, she stood in ce as she downed the entire battle.


    Loid was speechless. He didn¡¯t mean to make her treat them right away. He wanted her to stay


    ¡°My mom is fond of you. You¡¯re leaving without an exnation<b>?</b>¡± Restless and upset, Loid went and grabbed a bottle of beer as well


    He nced at the time. It was still early<b>.</b>


    He wanted to settle this before she left for school, lest she ran away tight after. Given her personality, that was definitely something she would do.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Lily touched her chin as she thought it over. She gave Loid <b>a </b>rather serious look. ¡°How about telling her that I¡¯m dead?


    Loid spat out the mouthful of beer he had just taken. He looked bewildered.


    From a nce at his face, Lily could tell that he did not like that idea, so she started to ponder in earnest again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t <b>have </b>to move out.¡± Loid thought that if he did not stop her, she would blurt out a more terrifying excuse, such as she had a dead husband or something.


    Lily did not reply. She was contemting whether she should stay.


    Since she did not refuse, Loid suspected that she was wavering. He took the chance to persuade her, <b>¡°</b><b>Word </b>of our engagement is already publicized. That¡¯s unaffected by whether you move out. Staying will set your grandma and my mom at ease.¡±


    After a pause<b>, </b>Lold continued, ¡°I¡¯m fairly capable. I can probably help with the things you can¡¯t aplish.¡±


    If Shaun had been there<b>, </b>he would have been astonished. He would have scoffed at Loid for iming to be <b>only </b>fairly capable.


    Lily furrowed her brows together. After quite <b>some </b>time, she lifted her head and <b>said </b>nonchntly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Loid¡¯sst sentence had moved her.


    After all, she had to head to Bridgeport someday<b>. </b>In certain cases, there was a limit to what she could do alone,

 Chapter 57

    Chapter <b>57</b>


    Yannick <b>had </b>just returned from a business trip when he heard his son¡¯s leg had been disabled. He rushed to Lagersfield right away.


    As soon as he arrived at the ward in Lagersfield City Hospital, his wife, Aubrey, threw herself into his arms and bawled ¡°Yannick, you have to seek justice for our son. His legis paralyzed. He won¡¯t be able to walk anymore.¡±


    Aubrey was crying herself hoarse. Her tears had even smudged her makeup


    ¡°Dad, you have to avenge mel¡± Jack yelled while lying on the bed.


    ¡°What happened exactly?¡± Yannick appeared upset.


    He was well aware of his son¡¯s personality. It Jack hadn¡¯t offended anyone, his leg would not have been crippled.


    ¡°A transfer student in my school did it. She crippled me on the first day she transferred here. Dad, she targeted me on purpose.¡± Jack knew Yannick well. If he told his father about his behavior in school, his other leg would be broken as well.


    ¡°Besides, she said that she wanted to destroy me. You have to save me, or she¡¯ll actually kill me.¡±


    Ever since the incident, Aubrey had reached out to many renowned doctors. All of them <b>said </b><b>that </b>his leg was irreparable.


    Jack hated Lily. He wanted to make her <b>pay</b>.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect Lily to fight so well. Over 30 bodyguards of the Dalton family were brought down by Lily. Moreover, she had <b>said </b>that she wanted to destroy him.


    When Jack found out, he threw a fit Nevertheless, he was powerless. Even the bodyguards couldn¡¯t defeat Lily, so there was nothing he could do. He could only count on his father to avenge him.


    ¡°Yannick, that transfer student is so conceited. She was able to disable our son¡¯s leg today. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll actually try to kill him tomorrow. You can¡¯t let her end the Dalton family¡¯s lineage!¡±


    With a scowl, Yannick pushed Aubrey away and fixed his eyes on Jack. He scolded him <b>sternly</b>, ¡°I¡¯ve told you countless times to quit <b>making </b>trouble at <b>school</b>, but you never listened. Do you think our family is impressive?


    ¡°There are so many people with greater power than the Dalton family. Even though she knew who you were, she still dared to disable your leg. It¡¯s clear that she¡¯s not afraid of the Dalton family.¡±


    Yannick looked disappointed. ¡°Yet you want me to avenge you?¡±


    ¡°Yannick, how can you be like this? You know your sen. He¡¯s from a rich family, but he never hurts others. They say that Lily <b>Brooks </b>is just a brat from a rural area<b>. </b>She has no impressive background or power. She¡¯s just good at fighting¡ª


    In the middle of Aubrey¡¯s speech, Yannick suddenly narrowed his eyes and grabbed her hand. He asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Who did you say she is?¡±


    ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s the matter? Aubrey had never seen Yannick act like that. She trembled in fear,


    Yannick tightened his grip, his steely face cold. ¡°I¡¯m <b>asking </b><b>you</b>, what¡¯s the name of that transfer student?¡±


    ¡°Lily Brooks.¡± Aubrey nced at him, puzzled. She did not understand why Yannick did not care about his <b>son¡¯s </b>leg but was concerned about the transfer student¡¯s name.


    Yannick took his phone out and pulled up a photo. ¡°is this her?¡±


    After a nce, Jack nodded. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


    Yannick staggered and almost slumped to the ground.


    His only thoughts were, ¡°We¡¯re doomed!¡±


    Aubrey quickly <b>supported </b>him. <b>¡°</b>Yannick, are you okay?¡±


    Yannick came out of his daze, pped Jack¡¯s face, and said in a fury, ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace. You¡¯ve ruined the Dalton family!¡±


    Seeing that Jack <b>was </b>hit, Aubrey quicldy shielded him. ¡°Why did you hit our son? He¡¯s already devastated from losing his leg, You refuse to avenge him, and you even hit him. How can you even call yourself <b>a </b>father?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Yannick clutched his chest, livid. ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯ve spoiled him.¡±


    After taking a deep breath, Yannick red at Jack. ¡°You, go apologize to Lily. Right now!¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    All they could do now was try their best to assuage Lily¡¯s anger.


    ¡°Why?¡± Aubrey objected right away. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense for the victim to apologize to the aggressor. What¡¯s wrong with you? She¡¯s just a <b>brat </b>from anal area. She¡¯s nothingpared to our son. I disagree with making Jack apologize to her.¡±


    ¡°A brat from a rural area?¡± Yannick gave awry and weak chuckle. ¡°That so¨Ccalled brat can make the Dalton family vanish from Bridgeport overnight.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Both Aubrey and Jack widened their eyes, <b>staring </b>at him <b>in </b>disbelief.


    Though Jack was rich and frivolous, he was not a fool. When he saw his father¡¯s current state, he panicked ¡°Dad, who exactly is Lily?¡±


    Yannick looked at him and replied coldly, ¡°She¡¯s someone our family can¡¯t mess with!¡±


    Loid drove Lily to Ember Creek High School. When they arrived, the first period was already underway. It <b>was </b>Nancy¡¯s English ss <b>during </b>the first period.


    When Lily headed to the ssroom, it had been ten minutes since ss started.


    ¡°Ms. Hanson, I¡¯m here.¡± Lily stood at the doorway with <b>a </b>hand in her pocket. Her other <b>hand </b>was holding her satchel.


    Nancy turned to look, and her expression immediately darkened. ¡°ss started so long ago. If you don¡¯t want toe <b>to </b>school, just don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t your home. You can¡¯te and go as you please<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    She then threw a book on the <b>desk</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Go stand outside!¡±


    The previous day, Lily had taken a <b>call </b>during her ss,pletely disregarding her. She was already enraged then.


    <b>Today</b>, Lily was evente. Nancy couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore. She was determined to teach Lily a lesson.


    After ncing at Nancy, Lily put her satchel over her shoulder and turned to leave the ssroom. Instead of standing in the hallway, she simply walked away.


    Nancy was furious. <b>¡°</b>You! I¡¯ll go to the principal and have you expelled!¡±


    It was the first time a studentpletely disregarded her. She felt that her pride as a teacher was ruthlessly trampled on by Lily.


    She had assumed threatening Lily with expulsion would make Lily stop and stand in the hallway obediently. However, Lily left uncaringly without even <b>looking </b>back.


    Seeing that, several male students sitting in the back all gave her <b>a </b>thumbs¨Cup. ¡°Cool¡±


    tan had waited all moming for Lily. When she didn¡¯t show up even after ss had begun, he became worried. He thought jack had exacted his revenge on Lily. Seeing that she had arrived and was still as proud as ever, he was impressed.


    Lily nned to take a nap near the sports field she didn¡¯t sleep well the right before. Her eyelids were heavy, and her head felt stuffy. Right as she reached the stairs, she saw a group of people rushing up.


    When she recognized the person in the lead, Lily folded her arms and shed a devilish smile


    Her ten billion dors had arrived.


    At once, Yannick threw himself at Lily¡¯s feet. After running for a while, his forehead was covered in <b>sweat</b>, ¡°Ms. Brooks, I¡¯m sorry. I


    I didn¡¯t raise my son right. Please forgive us!¡±


    <b>Once </b><b>Yannick </b>left the hospital, he immediately ordered someone to find out the ss Lily was in. Not wanting to waste any time, he asked his driver to go as fast as he could on the there.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Yannick¡¯s tone was respectful yet tinged with fear. He was trembling. He dared not even imagine the consequences of infuriating Lily. He had to do everything he could to beg for her forgiveness.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter <b>59</b>


    Lily took a step back, her eyes narrowing into a thin line. Leaning against the wall, she looked at Yannick and said with indifference, ¡°Your son wanted to kill my entire family.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Her tone was cid. However, her words ripped through Yannick like a thunderp. He was instantly stunned.


    Promptly, he <b>shot </b>up, pped <b>Jack¡¯s </b>face, and kicked his leg. ¡°You absolute disgrace! How dare you joke about that? kill? Would you be able to pay the price for that?!


    His kick was forceful With one of his legs disabled, Jack could hardly stand. When Yannick locked his other leg, Jack lost his bnce and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Apologize to Ms. Brooks right now,¡± Yannick almost shouted that sentence.


    He never imagined Jack would have the nerve <b>to </b>say that he wanted to kill Lily¡¯s entire family. Despite his extreme anxiety, he attempted to maintain a calm demeanor.


    Jack wanted to cry out in pain. When he lifted his head, he saw Yannick shooting daggers at him. He instantly knelt and prostrated himself before Lily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my shouldn¡¯t have bulbed other students. I shouldn¡¯t be arrogant and despotic. It¡¯s all my fault. Please forgive me¡­¡±


    His voice <b>was </b>very loud <b>and </b>reached the ssrooms


    That floor housed ss 15 through ss 18. Students in those sses were bad at studying. When they heard themotion, they stuck their heads out to watch.


    They were astounded by what they <b>saw</b>


    ¡°Woah! Jack is groveling in front of Lily!¡±


    ¡°Where? Where? Let me see.¡±


    fault 1


    ¡°It really is Jack. How is that possible? He¡¯s such a prideful person. The transfer student paralyzed his leg, but instead of taking revenge, <b>he¡¯s </b>kneeling before her? This is unreal.¡±


    The students were in an uproar. They didn¡¯t care if their sses were in <b>session </b>and rushed outside to watch.


    The teachers were unable to keep them under control, so they eventually gave up and joined in to watch. Jack was famous at Ember Creek. The fact that he was on his knees before a girl made the teachers quite curious too.


    More and more students gathered. However, Jack dared not even nce at them. He continued to grovel in front of Lily.


    If this had happened in the past, he would have punished anyone who dared to watch. Nevertheless, he did not have the leisure to care about if others were watching. He had to save himself first.


    ¡°Ms. Brooks, I was responsible for everything. It has nothing to do with my family. I was merely joking back then too. I wouldn¡¯t dare to take the lives of your entire <b>family</b>. Please have mercy <b>and </b>forgive me.


    ¡±


    When Yannick saw Lily standing wordlessly with a devilish smile on her face, he was perplexed.


    so, he knelt as well. ¡°Ms. Brooks, my son has been spoiled by his mother. His actions <b>have </b>offended you. I apologize on behalf <b>of </b>him. Our family is willing to give you half of our assets <b>as </bpensation¡±


    At <b>that</b>, Lily¡¯s eyes brightened. She straightened up and looked down at Yannick ¡°What¡¯s the value of half of the Dalton family¡¯s assets?¡±


    ¡°Excluding real estate, eight billion dors.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. He was shocked <b>that </b>his father would give away eight billion dors. <b>While </b>he was displeased, he didn¡¯t dare to <b>say </b>anything.


    With her arms folded, Lily gently patted one of her arms. After pondering for <b>some </b>time, she said unhurriedly, ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>not enough.


    Hearing that, Yannick instantly felt relieved. ¡°Please name a price, Ms. Brooks. As long as I can afford it, I¡¯ll dly give it to you in fall.¡±


    It was good that she would ept money. Yannick was <b>afraid </b>that she would refuse.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    ¡°Ten billion dors.¡± Lily cast a fleeting nce at jack. ¡°I can spare him for ten billion dors. I <b>don¡¯t </b>think that¡¯s too much to ask for, right?


    Yannick said tteringly, ¡°Not at all! <b>Jack¡¯s </b>fortunate enough that you¡¯re willing to spare him.¡±


    Then, he turned and pped Jack hard on the head. He said fiercely, ¡°You¡¯d better thank Ms. Brooks right away¡±


    Jack didn¡¯t dare to refuse. He thanked Lily repeatedly, ¡°Thank you so much,¡±


    Lily lowered the brim of her baseball cap and said to Jack, ¡°Wait for me in the ward tonight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yannick said gratefully to Lily, ¡°In addition to the promised ten billion, I¡¯ll also send you some valuable herbs aspensation,


    Lily was genuinely interested in the herbs Yannick was talking about. Hence, her expression softened as she said, ¡°Bring them over to me. Let me take a look at them.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>Sure</b>. I¡¯ll have someone bring the herbs to you when I get back.¡±


    At that moment, the school bell rang <b>Yannick </b>nced at the students in the corridor, then averted his <b>gaze</b>.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your studies, then. Goodbye, Ms. Brooks.¡±


    Lily nodded in acknowledgment before she headed back to the ssroom.


    It was recess time, so Nancy had no control over what Lily wanted to do.


    Elly entered the ssroom amid the crowd¡¯s Intense gaze. She maintained her cold and calm demeanor throughout, paying no attention to others scrutiny.


    After she entered the ssroom, she casually tossed her satchel onto the table. <b>Then</b>, she draped her school uniform over her head before falling asleep.


    In the corridor<b>, </b>a group of students who had been watching themotion fell silent for quite some time.


    It was unclear <b>who </b>spoke first, but someone eventually broke the silence with just two words, ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    Someone soon chimed in, ¡°I¡¯m impressed too.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m impressed too.¡±


    These students couldn¡¯t think of anything else <b>to </b>say except that they were impressed with Lily.


    Getting the head of the <b>Dalton </b>family to submit wasn¡¯t an easy task, and that was what made Lily <b>Brooks </b>so impressive.


    To these students, Lily appeared to be a far more formidable figure than Jack. They definitely wouldn¡¯t want to provoke her.


    <b>On </b>the way back to the hospital<b>, </b>Jack had many questions that he wanted to ask Yannick. However, he dared not say anything after seeing Yannick¡¯s grim expression.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Jack couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Dad, who exactly is Lily Brooks<b>, </b>and why are you so afraid of her? Ten billion is half of our family¡¯s fortune, yet you¡¯re giving it to her so easily. As a result, the Dalton family¡¯s influence in Bridgeport will plommet several levels, is it really worth?¡±


    Jack couldn¡¯t wrap his head around Yannick¡¯s decision no matter how hard he tried.


    Jack admitted that Lily was breathtakingly gorgeous. He had never sem a girl more beautiful than her. He might have pursued her if she hadn¡¯t opposed him to help Anya.


    However, her beauty was one thing, and her family background was another story.


    He had hired a private investigator to investigate Lily. She was just a country girl. Her father had disappeared, and her mother had remarried. She was raised solely by her grandmother.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Getting into fights and trouble was nothing new for her, not to mention her terrible academic performance.


    Jack was puzzled by his father¡¯s immense fear of Lily despite herck of power or family background<b>.</b>


    Yannick cast a nonchnt nce at Jack and said, ¡°Ten billion dors in exchange for the safety of the Dalton family, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s worth it?


    ¡°No matter how capable she is, she¡¯s <b>just </b><b>a </b><b>high </b>school student. She can¡¯t bring down the whole Dalton family all by herself, right?


    ¡°Dad, I feel like <b>you¡¯ve </b>be more <b>timid </b>as <b>you </b>age. Even a teenage girl like her can make you panic. If the Dalton family encounters even stronger enemies in the future, are you going to hand over the Dalton family to the enemies just like that?!


    Jack was frustrated.


    It was true that he¡¯d been acting arrogantly. Over the years, he had relied on the Dalton family¡¯s power and locked down on the poor. But at least he wasn¡¯t as cowardly as his father<b>, </b>who would panic at almost everything


    If he were to take charge of the Dalton family in the future, he would undoubtedly advance their development to surpass their current states.


    Yannick let out a disdainful snort as he looked at Jack emotionlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I¡¯m unaware of your plotting. You want me to stake the entire Dalton family to fight against Ms. Brooks for your revenge. How naive! How do you think the Talion family attained our current prestige?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    jack stared at Yannick silently.


    ¡°That teen girl you look down on is the one who shaped the sess of the Dalton family. We owe everything we have now to her. Do you know how old she was at that time?¡±


    Yannick pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his eyes reflecting a touch of respect. She was 13¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Jack was surprised.


    How <b>could </b>a 13¨Cyear¨Cold girl single¨Chandedly shape the sess of the Dalton family? At such a young age, what abilities could she possibly have to make that happen? Yannick looked at him coldly and said, ¡°From your perspective, many things seem impossible. Do you think you¡¯re impressive just because you¡¯re a son of the Dalton family? There are plenty of people in this world more capable than you.


    ¡°You were able to get into Ember Creek High School solely because of your favorable family background and educational resources. You may believe you¡¯re excellent, but you¡¯ll never reach Ms. Brooks¡¯s level in your lifetime.¡±


    Jack felt deeply discouraged upon hearing Yannick¡¯s words. ¡°Is my academic performance really that terrible? Besides, Lily scored zero in every subject, so how can she <b>be </b>considered outstanding?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what a genius means? Ms. Brooks is one.¡± Yannick extinguished his cigarette and waved his hand casually,


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t wish to continue on this topic anymore. You¡¯ll find out just how outstanding she is one <b>day</b>.¡±


    ¡°So I lost my leg for nothing?¡± Jack was still resentful over his crippled leg.


    The car stopped right at Lagersfield City Hospital. Yannick opened the car door <b>and </b>gave Jack a casual look, saying, ¡°You won¡¯t lose your leg. Ms. <b>Brooks </b>wille back tonight to treat <b>you</b><b>¡±</b>All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯sing to treat me?¡± <b>Jack </b>scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s the one who crippled my leg, yet you¡¯re letting her treat me. Dad, Are you serious? Does she even know anything about medicine? So many renowned doctors have <b>said </b>my leg can¡¯t be fixed-


    Yannick interrupted Jack, saying, ¡°Shut up already! If you still want to keep your leg, stay in the hospital and behave. Also<b>, </b>consider this a warning¨Ckeep your attitude in check and stay away from Ms. Brooks. I can save you once, but <b>not </b>twice. Take care of yourself.¡±


    Yannick no longer wished to concern himself with Jack¡¯s matters.


    Over the years, the Dalton family¡¯s business had grown extensively, and his wife had been overseeing all the household matters single¨Chandedly.


    Yannick rarely cared for his son when he was growing up. As Jack became a spoiled brat, Yannick found his behavior annoying, which made him even less willing to get involved in his affairs.


    In 12th grade ss 18 of Ember <b>Creek </b>High School, Anya was surrounded by her ssmates.


    ¡°Anya, I never expected this from you. You¡¯ve been keeping such a big secret hidden so well. Why didn¡¯t you mention knowing such an impressive figure earlier? With <b>her </b>backing you up, who would dare to bully you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, even the arrogant Jack was as obedient as a sheep in front of Big Boss Lily. If you had gotten her to stand up for you earlier, you could be walking around the school like you <b>own </b>the ce already<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Anya nced at Lily, who was still sleeping. Then, she lowered her head and said softly, ¡°I only got to know her recently. I didn¡¯t know her before.¡±


    ¡°Anya, don¡¯t mess around with us. Why would Lily stand up for you if she didn¡¯t know you prior?¡± A guy with a crew cut leaned in close to <b>Anya¡¯s </b>ear and said enthusiastically.


    ¡°She beat up Jack for your sake on the first day of school, and she even said she¡¯d have your back in the future. Are you seriously going to say you didn¡¯t know each other before this?


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know her.¡± Anya was frustrated because no one believed her.


    It was obvious that Lily intervened because she was kind and hated seeing her ssmates being bullied. Why did everyone assume they knew each other?


    Since Anya was reluctant to borate further, no one pursued the topic further.


    The guy with a crew cut fell silent momentarily before he asked, ¡°<b>Anya</b>, can you ask Big Boss Lily if she¡¯s recruiting followers? You know, someone strong and capable of performing odd jobs such as carrying heavy loads and serving tea?¡±


    The other students quickly seconded the guy¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah, please check for us, Anya. If Big Boss Lily is recruiting followers, I¡¯ll be the first to sign up.¡±


    Anya was speechless.


    She was unsure how to deal with her newfound friend¡¯s extreme poprity.


    ¡°1..¡± Anya was in a difficult position. She didn¡¯t know if she should turn down the requests of her ssmates.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Owing to Lily¡¯s influence, the other ssmates had be more willing to interact with Anya. If she refused to help her ssmates with their questions<b>, </b>Anya would feel bad for not being able to help them


    However, if she didn¡¯t refuse, <b>she </b>might be inviting trouble for herself, Even <b>a </b>single nce from Lily left her feeling intimidated. How could she muster the courage to ask her such questions?


    Just as Anya was unsure about how to respond to her ssmates, <b>tan</b><b>, </b>who had been sitting at the back, suddenly stood up. He mmed the desk and bellowed, ¡°What¡¯s with all the noise? Can¡¯t you see my boss, Lily, anyone dares to disturb her sleep, I¡¯ll break their leg.¡±


    sleeping?


    His words stirred up amotion in ss 18.


    ¡°Wow,n, you¡¯ve be a follower of Big Boss Lily already? Talk about fast!¡±


    ¡°Enough talling, <b>hurry </b>back to your seat! Didn¡¯t you notice Tan¡¯s murderous gaze<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Heather sat by the ssroom¡¯s rear exit with her fingers tightly clenched into fists. Her fair and delicate face was cold as frost, and her venomous gaze was fixed on Lily.


    Heather¡¯s ssmate quickly advised her, ¡°Lay¡¯s currently riding high. <b>She¡¯s </b>even got jackpletely under control. Heather, maybe it¡¯s best for you to just bear with her for now.


    ¡°You want me to tolerate her?¡± Heather snoored. However, she soon averted her gaze and opened her book, seemingly regaining herposure.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might be kicking against the pricks. If Lily can make Jack kneel and apologize to her, it means she¡¯s not just an ordinary country girl. Maybe she has stronger backing. Let¡¯s wait and see before making any moves. We can always deal with herter.¡±


    Heather raised an eyebrow and spoke with icy disdain, ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot like Jack¡±


    Her ssmate parted her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she sighed and <b>said </b>nothing more


    As the final ss at noon ended, Lily finally woke up from her nap.


    She tapped Anya¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s grab some lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Anyapletely idolized Lily and obeyed her words unquestioningly.


    As they got up,n quickly ran over and asked, ¡°Boss, want to grab hunch? Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Lily gave him a fleeting nce before ignoring him.


    dan didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all despite being ignored by Lily. He still followed Lily and Anya to the cafeteria. Throughout the journey, tan kept jabbering nonstop, which caused Lily to frown and exude an unweing vibe.


    As Lily passed by the sports field, <b>she </b>spotted Shannon, which caused her <b>to </b>abruptly stop in her tracks.


    Shannon and a few students were dancing on the sports field


    Ember Creek had a dedicated dance studio where students could take after¨Cschool dance sses.


    It was rare for 12th¨C<b>grade </b>students to participate in after¨Cschool activities. Typically, only those students with favorable family backgrounds and strong academic performance had the energy to pursue their interests,


    Shannon had a passion for dancing since childhood, which prompted Susan to enroll her <b>in </b>dance sses, Shannon also aimed to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in the future.


    ¡°Those are students from our school¡¯s dance club, and the <b>lead </b>dancer is Shannon. She¡¯s the campus belle of Ember Creek and is very popr.


    ¡°The school will host an art festival in the uing semester, so the Student Council is organizing various artistic performances for the festival Students involved in the performances will practice during their spare time.


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I can help you sign up. Shannon is your sister, right? With her on board, you¡¯ll definitely get into the dance club. an assumed Lily <b>was </b>interested in dancing when he saw her looking at the sports field.


    Lily withdrew her <b>gaze </b>and replied tly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Shannon¡¯s dance skills were undoubtedly solid. Yet, many of the advanced moves in street dance still appeared challenging for her.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Such doner performances were sufficient for a high school art festival. However, they paled inparison to the performances of professional dancers in the entertausent Industry

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Anya, who was beside Lily, nced toward the sports field and murmured, ¡°Her dancing is average ar


    Lan¡¯s interest was piqued when he heard Anya¡¯s words, ¡°You¡¯re into street dance as well?


    Lily also looked up at Anwa


    <b>Anya¡¯s </b>checks slightly flushed as she lowered her head and said in a soft voice, 1 enjoy watching Lucas Garria dance. He¡¯s my idol,¡±


    ¡°Oh gosh, Anya, are you serious? How can you evenpare this group of high school students to Lucas? He¡¯s <b>a </b>superstar who <b>has </b>released several albums. <b>And </b>as for Shannon¡¯s group, who knows how many years they¡¯ll need to practice to reach his level?¡±


    Lucas Garcia was <b>a </b>singer who rose to fame a few years ago. Each of his albums was a bestseller, featuring lyrics that deeply resonated with listeners. His fan base grew rapidly, and willin just a few years, he had be a superstar.


    No one in showbiz has ever risen to fame so quickly.


    Lucas was extremely popr, and as his fame grew, <b>many </b>believed that more of his scandals would emerge over time.


    However, no paparazzi or press had managed to dig up any dirt on him. Instead, they only managed to uncover his past achievements.


    Lucas once formed a street dance team called TTY before he rose to fame. TTY had won numerous international street dance trophies, including ten championships and numerous second¨Cce finishes.


    However, one member left TTYter on, resulting in the team¡¯s disbandment,


    Despite TTY¡¯s disbandment announcement, it was actually just reorganized in another form. <b>The </b>original crew formed a new band, which was still TTY at its core even though that departed member did not return


    Despite the band¡¯s reorganization, they performed exclusively with Lucas as part of his regr music crew. Thus<b>, </b><b>Lucas </b>was the only one in this group to truly achieve fame. However, the members of the TTY band had <b>also </b>gained the favor of many lens due to Lucas¡® influence


    It was rumored that Lucas was backed by Pinnacle <b>Group</b>, which had a solid global presence. <b>That </b>was probably why Lucas¡® path to stardom had been smooth sailing


    tan didn¡¯t expect Anya topare Lucas to a high school student like Shannon.


    ¡°I simply feel that no one can match Lucas when ites to dancing.¡± Anya gazed ahead, her eyes filled with fantasies.


    Lily cocked her head and gave Anya a mischievous look, asking, ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    amore!Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I like him a lot. It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t go to his concert.¡± As <b>Anya </b>grew more familiar with Lily, she discovered that Lily wasn¡¯t as cold as she seemed, which made Anya more rxed when talking to her.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you go?¡± As more students headed to the cafeteria, the narrow pathway became increasingly crowded. Lily¡¯s brows burrowed slightly at the sight.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>can¡¯t afford the concert ticket. I¡¯m not from a wealthy family, <b>so </b>such indulgence is beyond my reach. Even if I could afford it, I still wouldn¡¯t have a chance to go. It¡¯s not like he¡¯d hold a concert here in Lagersfield,¡± Anya said with <b>a </b>bitter smile,


    Attending their idol¡¯s concert in person was the ultimate dream for every fan. Who wouldn¡¯t want that?


    Unfortunately, <b>Anya¡¯s </b>family¡¯s financial situation was quite dire. Her parents had to work day and night to cover their living expenses.


    Lily shrugged and replied casually<i>, </i><i>¡°</i>What¡¯s the big deal? just get him to hold a concert in Lagersfield¡±


    Upon hearing Lily¡¯s words, Anya andn both halted and stared at Lily as if she were a monster.


    Lily raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ean swallowed nervously and said, ¡°Boss, your ability to handle jack is impressive, but Lucas <b>is </b><b>a </b>different story. He¡¯s backed by Pinnacle Group, so he¡¯s not someone you can easily threaten.¡±


    tan assumed that Laly intended to forcefully pressure Lucas into holding a concert, and the thought of it made him anxious. From experience, he felt that Lily was a natural Troublemaker. She would grow restless if she hadn¡¯t caused trouble in <b>a </b>while.


    But Lucas was not someone she could threaten at will.


    Setting a


    aside whether Lily could indeed locate Lucas, even if she did, Lucas bodyguards wouldn¡¯t let her get close to him easily.


    Lily was a skilled fighter, indeed. But Lucas bodyguards were unlike those useless bodyguards of the Dalton family. Lucas¡® bodyguards were retired mercenaries who had undergone strict training


    It was likely that far as bodyguards would remove Lily by force before she even approached him.


    dily raised her eyebrow and looked at tam as if he were an ihot.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    ¡°But didn¡¯t <b>you </b>say..¡±n was somewhat puzzled by Lily¡¯s words. Besides threatening Lucas, how else could Lily get him to hold a concert in Lagersfield<b>?</b>


    ¡°Just give him <b>a </b>call and ask him toe to Lagersfield. It¡¯s not that difficult¡±


    They had arrived at the cafeteria entrance while talking, and Lily walked right in. Her words lett both Anya and can speechless.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Ms. Big Shot, are you serious about calling Lucas <b>Garcia </b>personally? Do you even have <b>his </b>private number?¡± Both Anya and Tan thought to themselves.


    Jan took quite a while to regain hisposure and conceal the stunned look on his face. He chuckled awkwardly, saying, ¡°Boss, you sure know how to crack a joke.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, it was Lily¡¯s turn to be speechless.


    She wasn¡¯t kidding. She did have Lucas¡® phone number. However, the two of them didn¡¯t seem to believe her.


    Lily cast her gaze downward before she ignored them and walked away. Halfway through, she suddenly turned back to Tan and said, ¡°Stop calling me ¡®Boss.¡°¡±


    Jan nodded happily and agreed, ¡°Sure<b>, </b>I¡¯ll call you Big Boss then.¡±


    Lily was rendered speechless by his words again,


    <b>¡°</b><b>Just </b>call me Lily,¡± she said to tan <b>in </b>an annoyed tone.


    He was simply an airhead, so she decided to ignore him.


    éT


    As Lily prepared to return to the ssroom after lunch, she noticed Shannon and Shelby walking toward her. They were apanied by members of the dance club


    ¡°Hello, Lily,¡± Shannon greeted Lily with a pleasant smile on her exquisite face, exuding a gentle <b>and </b>amiable demeanor.


    Lily nced briefly at her and then withdrew her gaze without saying anything.


    Shelby could barely tolerate Lily¡¯s attitude. She scoffed and said, ¡°Shannon, why are you even being nice to her? She stole your fianc¨¦ and made Grandma tallill. Someone like her isn¡¯t worthy of being your sister.¡±


    Lily¡¯s deeds had long been known around the school, and Shelby was never a fan of Lily. After interacting with her and witnessing her attitude, Shelby¡¯s dislike for her intensified. She believed Jack dared not pick on Lily because he knew she was Lold¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Otherwise<b>, </b>how could someone as arrogant as Jack possibly yield to a country bumpkin?


    Shelby thought, ¡°I¡¯m so surprised that Lily could be so scheming at her young age.¡±


    Not only did she convince Loid to withdraw his investment from the Martinez family, but she <b>also </b>exploited Loid¡¯s reputation tomit misdeeds


    She was baffled as to why Loid had be so submissive <b>to </b>Lily within just a few days. What did that country bumpkin have to offer besides <b>her </b>looks?


    Shelby was resentful She simply couldn¡¯t stand a country bumplin running rampant in Martinez Residence.


    Shannon tugged on Shelby¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Shelby, please don¡¯t say that. She¡¯s my blood sister, after all. Our mother mistreated her in the past, so her resentment toward us is understandable¡±


    with droopy brows and downcast eyes, Shannon wore an expression of innocence and vulnerability.


    Lily stood with her hands in her pockets, her expression cold and emotionless. Her head was tilted, <b>and </b>a mischievous smile yed at the corner of her mouth. She just stared at Shannon in that posture without saying anything.


    ¡°Shannon, you¡¯re too easygoing. What happened back then isn¡¯t your fault. Why <b>should </b>you have to endure being robbed of your fiance?¡± Shelby said indignantly while fixing a fiercestare on Lily.


    Shelby¡¯s words were immediately echoed by someone nearby, ¡°That¡¯s right, Shannon. You don¡¯t have to be nice to her. Just because she sessfully stole him away doesn¡¯t guarantee she can keep him forever. Your fianc¨¦ will definitely realize your worth ande back to you in the future.¡°¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond me why the principal would ept a student with such poor conduct. This is aplete disgrace for our school.¡±


    ¡°I think we should draft a petition requesting the principal to expel her.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    As more students gathered to watch, almost all of them started nitpicking and gossiping about Lily.


    only a few students truly admired Lily for removing Jack, the troublemaker<b>, </b>from Ember Creek. Those people chose not to participate in the gossip.


    ¡°Everyone shut the hell up!¡±n yelled angrily. ¡°Whoever dares to talk nonsense again, I¡¯ll rip their mouths of!¡±


    The noisy crowd instantly fell silent<b>.</b>


    Jan stared icily at the <b>crowd </b>before <b>him </b>and <b>asked</b>, <b>¡°</b><b>Who </b>spoke ill <b>of </b>Lily just now?¡±


    Several timid girls with modest family backgrounds nced at each other and quickly lowered their heads.


    When Jack was around, people weren¡¯t very afraid of tan. Now <b>that </b>Jack was out of the picture, Ian had be the top dog at Ember Creek, and these people feared <bn¡¯s </b>retaliation


    However, some weren¡¯t afraid of an, such as Shelby


    n, you¡¯re a member of the Fletcher family, after all. How could you acknowledge a country girl as your boss? Do you not care about the reputation of the Fletcher family at <b>all</b>? shelby scoffed and remarked, ¡°Right, Ian. With your notorious reputation as a spoiled brat echoing throughout Lagersfield and your bottom¨Cranking academic performance, you¡¯ve long disgraced the Fletcher family.¡±


    Instead of getting angry,n responded to Shelby with a smile, ¡°Shelby, you really <b>have </b>the audacity to show off your elite status in front of me, huh? You¡¯re just <b>Shannon¡¯s </b>sidekick <b>at </b>best. You¡¯re so clueless that if she ever sold you out, you¡¯d still thank her for it. I can¡¯t be bothered to deal with you!¡±


    A displeased <b>look </b>crossed Shannon¡¯s <b>face </b>as she demanded, ¡°Jam, what do you mean by that?¡±


    Jan sneered and looked at Shannon with a mocking gaze. ¡°We¡¯re all born and raised in Lagersfield We know each other inside out, <b>so </b>drop the act


    ¡°You always portray yourself like a nobledy. Deep down, you¡¯re viler than anyone else, <b>and </b>only someone as brainless as Shelby would let you manipte them.¡°¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling brainless!¡± Shelby stepped forward and red atn with wide eyes.


    As a member of <b>the </b>esteemed Martinez family, nobody had ever dared to speak to her in this way.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°With your ordinary appearance, you have the audacity to fantasize about bing fack¡¯s girlfriend? quit dreaming. In Jack¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re not even worthy enough to be his fallback option.¡±


    ¡°You 1. I didn¡¯t fantasize!¡± shelby felt embarrassed as if she had been exposed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Ian scoffed. ¡°Then I must <b>have </b>misunderstood<b>. </b>Aren¡¯t you here to give Lily a hard time because she ruined jack¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°I..¡± Shelby was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t hide the embarrassment and anger on her face, yet she couldn¡¯t refuten because everything he said was true.


    She was indeed angry that Lily ruined Jack¡¯s life, and that was why she wanted to give Lily a hard time. She felt she had hidden her thoughts well, so how did an find out? Shannon nced at Lily, who stoodzily at the side without <b>saying </b>anything. She acted as if everything happening before her had nothing to do with her.


    A cold glean shed in Shannon¡¯s eyes as her fair, slender fingers tightly clenched into fists


    She withdrew her gaze and addressed Tan, n, it¡¯s <b>just </b>a little spat between sisters. Why do you have to make it sound so harsh?¡±


    She slightly pursed her lips, her eyes misting with tears, ¡°Shelby is just feeling sorry for me. I¡¯m not angry at Lily. Even if she has gotten together with my fianc¨¦, I don¡¯t me her. That¡¯s something my mom and lowe her.


    ¡°I understand you want to defend Lily, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to speak ill of Shelby like this.¡±


    Lily, who had been silent all along, suddenly lifted her head. She fixed her cold gaze on Shannon¡¯s face and smiled.


    Her smile was like a blooming flower, captivating and soul¨Cprating


    After a long silence, she said indifferently, ¡°You and your mother are cut from the same cloth.¡±


    As soon as Lily finished speaking, she turned around and walked away.


    Ian and Anya hastened to keep up with Lily.


    After walking a distance, can turned back and said, ¡°Listen, Lily is my boss in this school. <b>If </b>anyone danes to stir up trouble and spread rumors behind her back, I guarantee they won¡¯t be staying in Ember Creek for long. Don¡¯t believe me? Feel free to try.¡±


    Lily walked quickly. <b>Anya </b>and tan jogged alongside but <b>still </b>couldn¡¯t keep up with her.


    After a while, Anya suddenly stopped and grabbedn. She told him, ¡°Stop following her she probably doesn¡¯t want to be bothered right now.


    ¡°Damian angrily kicked a stone on the roadside and eximed, ¡°Lily is a good <b>person</b>. Why can¡¯t those Martinez family people appreciate her?¡±


    Chapter 66

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Shannon and Lily¡¯s kinship soon became widely known throughout Ember Creek High School


    Upon leaming about their kinship,n conducted an investigation. He discovered that Lily¡¯s biological mother had abandoned her when she was young, leaving her to be <b>raised </b>by her grandmother.


    Yearster, her mother audaciously asked Lily to take Shannon¡¯s ce in marrying Loid Laurier for the sale of the Martinez family¡¯s honor despite her previous abandonment of Lily.


    Shannon had rejected the marriage proposal herself, yet others used Lily of stealing her fianc¨¦n truly felt that Lily was judged <b>unfairly</b>, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for


    her


    He finally understood why Lily always seemed so cold and distant. No one would be happy in her position.


    Anya said with a bitter smile, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need the Martinez family¡¯s acknowledgment. She deserves better.¡±


    She shifted her gaze to Lily, who had her back to them. Her figure was slender and deste, which was heart¨Cwrenching to watch.


    tan nced up but said nothing more. Instead, he quietly made a decision. He was determined to grow stronger so that he could protectly in the future.


    When school was dismissed in the afternoon, Loid parked his car at the entrance of Ember Creek High School. <b>Shaun </b>and Daniel were in the car with him Upon seeing Lily exiting the school, Loid opened the car door and took Lily¡¯s satchel With a faint smile, he held her hand and asked, ¡°Feeling down?¡± When Lily emerged from the school gate, Loid immediately noticed that she didn¡¯t <b>look </b>well


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Lily replied with a frown. She <b>was </b>clearly not in the mood to talk.


    Loid didn¡¯t press further. He just took her hand and got into the car.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡± As they boarded the <b>car</b>, some girls at the school gate screamed while admiring Lou¡¯s figure


    Loid¡¯s chiseled features and aristocratic vibe had captivated the eyes of countless girls.


    After Loid picked Lily up in his car and left, several jealous girl began gossiping about them.


    ¡°I simply can¡¯t understand why would a man like him be attracted to a country bumpkin like Lily?


    ¡°Ipletely agree with you. <b>Can </b>you believe he broke off his engagement with the Martinez family for Lily? However you view it, Shannon still seems like the better fianc¨¦e choice


    Shannon was standing behind those girls. As she listened to their discussions, a faint smile finally appeared on her face, which had been gloomy all day


    She was happy to know that, in the eyes of others, she was the perfect fianc¨¦e choice for <b>Lold</b>


    ¡°Shannon, Lily is so good with her tactics. She managed to capture Loid¡¯s heart in just a few days, and now be picks her up from school every day. You need toe up with a n. We can¡¯t let Lily steal Loid away.¡± Shelby looked at Laid¡¯s car with a hateful gaze as it disappeared into the distance.


    She was previously unaware that Loid face had not been marred. After she saw him with her own eyes, she felt really upset.


    That country bumpkin was not deserving of such a high¨Cquality man. She <b>couldn¡¯t </b><b>tolerate </b>Lily bing increasingly <b>arrogant </b>with Loid¡¯s backing


    ¡°Shelby, <b>please </b>don¡¯t speak about her like that anymore. After all, she¡¯s my sister. I¡¯ll <b>get </b><b>angry </b>if you keep doing that.¡± Shannon appeared to chastise Shelby for her <b>words</b>, <b>yet </b><b>a </b>hint of gloating flickered in her eyes,


    ¡°Are you resigned to ept your fianc¨¦ being stolen away


    y like this? Shelby said indignantly.


    Shannon¡¯s eyes shed with a cold gleam. ept it willingly? Not in a million years<b>.</b>N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Hesigning herself to date was out of the question. She would reim what she had lost with her own hands.


    Despite her inner turmoil<b>, </b>Shannon maintained a calmposure and said to Shelby, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡±

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Lily entered a VIP ward in Lagersfield City Hospital with Lold, Shaun, and Daniel following closely behind.


    Yannick <b>and </b><b>his </b>son, Jack, had been waiting in the hospital ward for quite some time.


    As Lily entered the ward, Yannick rushed forward to greet her, ¡°Ms. Brooks.¡±


    He caught sight of Loid next to Lily and hesitantly called out, ¡°Mr. Laurier?¡±


    He had met Loid before<b>, </b>but he was puzzled as to why Loid was apanying Lily.


    Not long ago, the news of Loid¡¯s engagement spread like wildfire in Bridgeport. As one of the leading prestigious families in Bridgeport, the Dalton family was certainly aware of


    the news.


    However, it <b>was </b>rumored that Loid was engaged to the daughter of the Martinez family, so why was he with Lily? How were they <b>rted</b>?


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Dalton, Loid nodded at Yannick and greeted him courteously.


    Yannick returned the greeting, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Laurier ¡±


    The Laurier and Dalton families weren¡¯t particrly close, so their interactions were typically limited to polite exchanges.


    Yannick turned to Lily and said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Brooks, thank you for taking the time to treat Jack I really appreciate it.¡±


    Lily nced at Yannick, then walked over to Jack with a cold expression. She retrieved <b>a </b>silver needle from her pouch <b>and </b>inserted it into <b>an </b>acupuncture point on Jack¡¯s thigh. After a short while, she removed the silver needle from the acupuncture point and dered, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Lily casually stached the silver needle into the pouch


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Shaun stared at Lily in disbelief.


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be treating Jack¡¯s leg? Why did the treatment end so quickly?


    Shaun vividly remembered Loid¡¯sst treatment session, during which ly inserted over goneedles into various acupuncture points on Loid¡¯s body. That was only part of the


    treatment process.


    Lily had inserted just one needle into Jack¡¯s leg just now, yet she imed that Jack¡¯s leg had been cured. ¡°Is this supposed to be <b>a </b>joke?¡± Shaun thought to himself skeptically. Jack was also skeptical of Lily¡¯s im. He had visited many renowned doctors since Lilybroke his leg, but none could cure his leg. He felt it was unlikely that she could heal him just by sticking a needle into his leg.


    On the other hand, Loid and <b>Yannick </b>looked calm<b>, </b>as if they had already anticipated the oue.


    Lily put away the silver needle and told Jack, ¡°<b>You </b>can try <b>getting </b>out of bed now.¡±


    Jack was skeptical, so he got out of bed immediately to verify Lily¡¯s words. The moment he set foot on the floor, he was dumbfounded. He could actually stand up, and his leg wasn¡¯t hurting <b>anymore</b>.


    He looked up at Lily with a gaze filled with admiration.)


    Without dy, he dropped to his knees and said solemnly, ¡°Ms. Brooks, I take full responsibility for what happened previously. It was my fault. I promise to follow your orders faithfully from now on.¡±


    It finally dawned on jack what his father¡¯s words meant. Lily Brooks was indeed capable of making or breaking the Dalton family.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that,¡± Lily <b>said </b>with <b>a </b>subdued mood, her expression remaining tense.


    She approached Enid and softly told him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Having walked a few steps, Uly turned around and reminded Yannick, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send the money.¡±


    Yannick lowered his head slightly and <b>replied</b>, ¡°The ten billion dors has been wired to your ount as of noon.¡±


    Lily nodded and left without saying anything else.


    After leaving the hospital, the group of four went out for dinines together.


    The car was surprisingly quiet during the journey to the restaurant. Shaun was usually a talkative person. However, he noticed Lily¡¯s low spirits and refrained from speaking. When they arrived at the restaurant, Uly exited the car first while Loid remained seated inside the car. He looked at her through the window. Her <b>trail </b>and solitary figureelicited a deep sense of pity in him.


    Loid withdrew his gaze <b>and </b>said with a chilling voice, ¡°Daniel, go find out what happened at Ember Creek High <b>School </b>today.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Lily barely touched her food before she started drinking non¨Cstop.


    She remained silent, but the air she gave oft made her seem so unapproachable that it intimidated Shaun and Daniel.


    Shan leaned close to Loid and asked softly, ¡°Loid, did you upset Lily<b>? </b>She seems pretty intimidating right now I don¡¯t even dare to speak loudly because I¡¯m afraid I might apenmote her¡±

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Loid nced at him and said, ¡°Then just keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Shaun wasn¡¯t the only one who was afraid to speak Even Loid didn¡¯t dare to break the silence.


    Loid was afraid that Lily would initiate a fight at the slightest provocation. After all, he had experienced her prowess inbat during theirst encounter.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she mention she¡¯d be treating your illness tonight? Shaun continued in a soft voice.


    Load pursed his lips and nced at Lily before responding. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush,¡±


    <b>As </b><b>soon </b>as they finished speaking, Lily set the beer bottle on the table and gave Loid and <b>Shaun </b>an indifferent nce. ¡°Do you have paper and a pen?¡±


    Loid remained silent and looked at Daniel.


    Daniel immediately understood what he meant. ¡°I¡¯ll <b>go </b>ask for a pen and paper from the waiter.¡±


    Soon enough, Daniel came back with the items,


    Lily grabbed the pen and scribbled a long list of content on the paper before handing it to Daniel. The paper was filled with names of various herbs, somepletely unknown to


    DanielN?velDrama.Org content.


    Go get all of these from Herb Haven,¡± Lily said as she sipped her beer with a frown.


    Lily thought to herself, ¡°The beer tastes awful today. It has no vorat


    Daniel was taken aback. ¡°Do we need to purchase all of this? Does Herb Haven even carry all these herbs?¡±


    He knew about Herb Haven. It was <b>a </b>specialized herb shop that was quite well¨Cknown in Lagersfield However, the shop was small, upying just over a hundred square feet How could they possibly store so many herbs in such a small area?


    Lily¡¯s list included over 30 different types of herbs, with more <b>than </b>ten being rare and valuable herbs. He doubted if he could get everything from Herb Haven,


    Lily gave him a faint nce and remained silent.


    With a shudder, Daniel quickly turned to leave. He didn¡¯t want Lily to think he was a fool.


    After Daniellett, Lily set down her cup and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Loid and Shaun <b>didn¡¯t </b>say anything. They simply paid the bill and escorted Lily home.


    When they returned to Anmer Heights<b>, </b>Daniel had also acquired all the herbs. Lily Included 30 types of rare herbs in her list, but she only needed ten types in reality. She considered the remaining 20 types of herbs as Lold¡¯s gift to her.


    Lily never engaged <b>in </b>unprofitable deals. Loid had to pay <b>a </b>price.


    Besides, he wasn¡¯t exactly making a loss. It was considerate of her not to demand the ten billion dors needed for the next order.


    With the herbs in hand, Lily headed toward the kitchen.


    Daniel reached to take the stack of herbs from her hands with a pleasing expression ¡°Ms. Brooks, let me help you.¡±


    Lily hesitated for a moment before brusquely shoving the herbs into his hands.


    Daniel gingerly set the herbs down. While others might not realize, he was keenly aware of their high value. After all, he had spent a billion dors just to acquire such a small quantity of herbs.


    Herb Haven carried an incredible selection of herbs, offering virtually any type of herb imaginable, which was truly impressive.


    ¡°You can leave now,¡± Lily said calmly to Daniel while searching through the kitchen.


    Daniel was conflicted for a moment, but he eventually got over it and suddenly knelt before Lily.


    Lily took out a pressure cooker from the cab. When she turned around, she saw Daniel kneeling on the ground. She stopped her movements briefly and asked with an arched eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    to save Loid. From now on, I¡¯ll spare no effort in fulfilling your requests, even if it means jumping through hoops,¡± Daniel said sincerely


    ¡°My Brooks, thank you t


    for agreeing to sav


    ¡°You¡¯re too hony!¡± Lily stated at him and ordered, ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave now! Konwing that Lily had a short temper, Daniel didn¡¯t want to upset her further, so he promptly left.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Lily had been in the kitchen for four hours. From the outside, Loid and the others <b>could </b>only hear constant banging and ttering noisesing from the kitchen. They were <b>unsure </b>of what she was doing inside.


    Loid was very calm and engrossed in his cell phone, seemingly unatteeted by the soundsing from the kitchen,


    Meanwhile, Shaun <b>and </b>Daniel were starting to feel uneasy.


    ncing at his watch, Shan leaned back on the couch and quipped, ¡°Is she nning to tear down the kitchen?


    Shaun knew that Lily had a bit of a violent streak. She was quick to resort to physical actions at the slightest provocation. Despite her young age, she <b>was </b><b>a </b>skilled fighter, often making Sham feel interior.


    Lily had been holed up in the kitchen for hours, and the noisesing from inside were extremely jarring. He wondered if she was in a bad mood and venting her emotions on the kitchen appliances.


    Loid litted his head slightly, his narrow eyes fixed in the direction of


    of the kitchen. His were <b>pursed</b><b>, </b>and <b>his </b>face was stern and emotionless.


    He appeared lost in thought. After a moment, he lowered his <b>head </b>and resumed ying with his phone.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Let her tear down whatever she likes,¡± he said in an indifferent tone


    Lily wasn¡¯t in a good mood. If tearing down his house would make her happy, he would be <b>more </b>than willing to let her tear down <b>whatever </b>she wanted.


    If tearing down one house wasn¡¯t enough to make her happy, he had plenty of other houses that she could tear down.


    <b>Shaun </b>tilted his head, a mischievous smile ying at theer of his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously into her, are you?¡±


    After hearing what Shaun said, Loid¡¯s slender lingers twitched slightly, and he nced sideways at Shann.


    His gaze was oppressive<b>, </b>causing Shaun¡¯s eyebrows to twitch. ¡°No<b>, </b>that¡¯s <b>not </b>what I mean¡­ What I¡¯m saying is, she said she married you because of Jason Martinez, <b>yet </b>you have no idea how she¡¯s rted to Jason. What if they¡¯re <b>a </b>couple?¡±


    Shaun pressed his lips together and asked <b>as </b>well, ¡°What if Lily is actually Jason¡¯s girlfriend¡® What¡¯s your n? Steal her away? Don¡¯t forget, he did it all for you¡±


    Shaun couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the rest.


    Loid was leaning against the couch with his long legs crossed. His tall frame was bathed in the room¡¯s soft light. To Shaun¡¯s surprise, he caught a glimpse of inner conflicton <b>Loid¡¯s </b>face.


    After a long while, Loid finally sald slowly, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s not.¡±


    His deep, intense eyes grew dim, <b>and </b>a twinge of pain gripped his heart.


    After witnessing his reaction, Shaun decided not to pursue the subject further.


    Rumor had it that Loid was decisive and ruthless, yet he disyed such an attachment for Lily. His reluctance to let go of that young girl was written all over his face. ¡°Good grief, this is simply unbelievable!¡± Shaun eximed inwardly to himself.


    Shaun rubbed his head and <b>said</b>, ¡°There¡¯s something I can¡¯t figure out. Lily is only 19. Where did she beam such advanced medical skills? She said Shadowbane isn¡¯t her mentor, so who¡¯s her mentor, then?


    ¡°Besides Shadowbane, I¡¯ve never encountered another doctor with such impressive <b>medical </b>skills. Another thing is Lily¡¯s attitude townd money seems conflicting On one hand, she appearspletely indifferent to money To her, 70 billion dors is nothing more than a pile of paper.


    ¡°Yet paradoxically, she also seems <b>to </b>be in dire need of money as she requests <b>70 </b>billion dors straightway without hesitation.¡±


    Loid narrowed <b>his </b><b>eyes </b><b>and </b><b>said </b>nothing


    He paced around the coffee table, his brain working at full speed


    ¡°If those <b>folks </b>in Bridgeport discover that she possesses medical skillsparable to Shadowbane, they¡¯ll probably be scrambling to snatch her up¡±


    Loid lit up acigarette and exhaled several smoke rings. After a moment, he suddenly stood up and snuffed the cigarette before instructing, ¡°Take care of Lily¡¯s personal. information: <b>Her </b>medical skills must remain a secret¡±


    <b>Shaun </b>soon understood what he meant and responded swiftly. ¡°Yes, we must block the news as soon as possible. Lily¡¯s medical skills must remain concealed.¡±


    Daniel had been with Loid for years, <b>so </b>naturally, he understood what Lood meant.


    He said nothing and immediately left to do what he had to


    Loid walked to the window. Since the balcony was close to the kitchen, he could clearly hear the soundsing from the kachen.


    He narrowed his eyes, and <b>a </b><b>cold </b>gleam shedthrough his dark pupils. He tucked his slender fingers into his pockets <b>and </b>wore <b>a </b>grim expression on his face.


    ¡°Shaun ¡°His voice was icy, sending chills down to Sham¡¯s bones


    Shaun replied in a subdued tone, waiting for Lold¡¯s next words.


    ¡°Send a message to the Styn Network<b>,</b>¡± Lold said solemnly while lighting another cigarette


    It had been a while since <b>Shaun </b>had seen Loid behave like this.


    He nodded and said, ¡°Alright. If anyone intends to mess with Lily, they must go through me first No one can touch Lily Brooks without Shaun Knight¡¯s consent<b>.</b>¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Loid¡¯s recovery might have been concealed from most people, but it might not have eluded those in Bridgeport


    Furthermore, they had already spread news of Loid¡¯s recovery early on. It was likely that those in Bridgeport had already begun investigating who healed <b>old</b>


    Additional efforts to conceal the truth might not <b>work</b>, which warranted increased security for Lily.


    While the two were talking, sudden bursts of explosions erupted in the kitchen.


    Loid¡¯s expression tensed at the sound of the explosion. He quickly tossed his cigarette away and hurried into the kitchen.


    shan¡¯s expression soured. He had just boasted that no one could mess with Lily without his consent, yet someone was already attacking her<b>. </b><b>Talk </b>about quick!


    He hurried to the kitchen alongside Loid. He was dumbfounded when he opened the kitchen door.


    Loid stood frozen at the doorway. It took him a while to register what was happening


    ¡°Lily what happened <b>just </b>now?¡± Shain¡¯s mouth quivered. He was unable to believe what he had seen.


    The kitchen looked like a battlefield full of wreckage


    Lily calmly emerged from the chaos, appearing somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, I was just making something.¡±


    She let out a cough and looked somewhat sheepish. Her wandering, unfocused gaze betrayed her guilt. ¡°I¡¯llpensate you for the loss.¡±


    It took a while for Loid to finally snap out of his shock. He pursed his thin lips, unable to mask the bewilderment on his face.


    His concern wasn¡¯t the nearly blown¨C<b>up </b>kitchen but Lily herself ¡°Are you okay?¡°¡±


    I¡¯m okay.¡± Lily lifted the lid off the pressure cooker, which lookedpletely ruined.


    Several brown herbal pills nestled quietly inside the pressure cooker. Lily nced at them and nodded in satisfaction. She took out the pills and kept one for herself before giving the rest to Loid.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Take one pill daily and let me know when you run out of them. I¡¯ll make more for you.¡±


    She scanned the disarrayed kitchen and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to make any more herbal pills <b>today </b>even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Give me a heads¨Cup the next time you want to make herbal pills and I¡¯ll get you some useful tools,¡± Loid said as he took the herbal pills from her.


    After a brief pause, Loid gazed earnestly at Lily and <b>said</b>, ¡°<b>Thank </b>you¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve paid me for them,¡± Lily said with a smirk, her exquisite features bathing in the soft halo of the lights


    Lold was momentarily fazed by her smile. Usually <b>cold </b>and quick¨Ctempered, she rarely smiled. He hadn¡¯t expected her smile to be so mesmerizing


    ¡°That meager amount of money is not nearly enough to repay you for saving my life.¡± Loid subconsciously gripped Lily¡¯s hand tighter.


    Lily grinned and gave Lold a friendly pat on the shoulder as if they were good buddies. ¡°I operate on a fair exchange basis when ites to saving lives. If I think it¡¯s fair enough, then it¡¯s sufficient¡±


    Loid said nothing more. He asked Daniel to fetch him some water, then took a herbal pill with it.


    Shaun was astonished by everything unfolding before him, so he remained dazed for a while.


    It took him <b>a </b>while before he turned to Lily and asked, ¡°Were you making herbal pills just now?


    He had once heard Neil mention that herbal pill crafting was a real profession. It involved producing herbal pills through special techniques and using various herbs


    Word had it that the pills produced by herbal pill crafters could cure nearly every illness in the world, making them highly sought after.


    However, herbal pill crafters were rare because most peoplecked the intelligence and patience to master the skill. Therefore, the profession of herbal pill crafting remained mysterious.


    Shaun was skeptical of Neil¡¯s im. After all, he had only read about such things in novels and felt they were non¨Cexistent in real life.


    Yet he had just witnessed it with his own eyes. There were indeed people who could make herbal pills from scratch, and that person happened to be a 19¨Cyear¨Cold girl


    Shaun felt that his confidence was crumbling apart.


    ¡°What the heck is this? We¡¯re all human, so why are others so exceptionally talented but not <b>me</b><b>?</b>¡± Shaun thought disgruntledly.

 Chapter 71

    <b>Chapter </b><b>71</b>


    Lily set another herbal pill before Shaun, grinning mischievously. ¡°You can get this life¨Csaving herbal pill for a hundred thousand dors. Are you interested?¡±


    Her voice snapped Shaun back to reality. Lips twitching, he said, ¡°You¡¯re really ying favorites here. Loid gets it for free, but I have to pay?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s too expensive?¡± Lily rubbed her head with her fingers and grinned slyly.


    ¡°Even if someone offered me a billion dors, there¡¯s no guarantee that I would sell this herbal pill to them. If you choose not to buy, then so be it.¡±


    Shaun was feeling a bit disgruntled, so he pulled out his phone moodily. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. Give me your ount number and I¡¯ll make the transfer.¡±


    Even if Lily were to ask for a million, Shaun would stillply. A hundred thousand dors was no big deal to him.


    Lily always delivered goods of the highest quality, never anything subpar.


    That was a life¨Csaving herbal pill, and Shaun was determined to get it regardless of the cost.


    However, he was quite dissatisfied. Why did Loid get it for free while he had to pay for it himself? It was so unfair!


    ¡°These two aren¡¯t even married yet, and they¡¯re already scheming against me as a couple. I can foresee tough days ahead,¡± Shaun thought to himself.


    ¡°Lily, why did you make me pay?¡± Shaun hadpleted the transfer, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why she made him pay for the pill.


    Feeling puzzled, he leaned over to Lily and asked cheekily, ¡°Am I not handsome enough?¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Lily turned her head and actually took a good look at Shaun¡¯s appearance.


    His features were well¨Cdefined, with deep¨Cset eyes and thin lipsplemented by a high, straight nose. His tousled hair partially covered one eye, giving him a mysterious vibe.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite handsome,¡± Lily replied sincerely.


    Loid cast a sidelong nce at Shaun. His expression had grown noticeably colder.


    Before Shaun had a chance to be happy, Lily dampened his enthusiasm by pointing at Loid and saying, ¡± But you¡¯re not as good¨Clooking as him!¡±


    Loid¡¯s face broke into a smile instantly.


    Shaun¡¯s expression soured slightly. He gritted his teeth and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s harsh.¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t continue bantering with them and turned to Loid with a serious expression. ¡°Curing Bloodbane poison is no simple task. This batch of pills is different from the previous one I gave you.


    ¡°These pills can only protect your internal organs. I¡¯ll need to treat you daily for the next month without fail. Listen, during this period, <i>you </i>muste to me for daily treatment without fail, even if you have urgent matters. Otherwise, you won¡¯t survive beyond ten minutes.¡±


    Shaun was taken aback. ¡°Whoa, that sounds rming!¡±


    Lily nced at them and calmly said, ¡°Get someone to clean the kitchen, and don¡¯t disturb me for the next three <b>hours</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>71</b>


    Lily set another herbal pill before Shaun, grinning mischievously. ¡°You can get this life¨Csaving herbal pill for a hundred thousand dors. Are you interested?¡±


    Her voice snapped Shaun back to reality. Lips twitching, he said, ¡°You¡¯re really ying favorites here. Loid gets it for free, but I have to pay?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s too expensive?¡± Lily rubbed her head with her fingers and grinned slyly.


    ¡°Even if someone offered me a billion dors, there¡¯s no guarantee that I would sell this herbal pill to them. If you choose not to buy, then so be it.¡±


    Shaun was feeling a bit disgruntled, so he pulled out his phone moodily. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. Give me your ount number and I¡¯ll make the transfer.¡±


    Even if Lily were to ask for a million, Shaun would stillply. A hundred thousand dors was no big deal to him.


    Lily always delivered goods of the highest quality, never anything subpar.


    That was a life¨Csaving herbal pill, and Shaun was determined to get it regardless of the cost.


    However, he was quite dissatisfied. Why did Loid get it for free while he had to pay for it himself? It was so unfair!


    ¡°These two aren¡¯t even married yet, and they¡¯re already scheming against me as a couple. I can foresee tough days ahead,¡± Shaun thought to himself.


    ¡°Lily, why did you make me pay?¡± Shaun hadpleted the transfer, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why she! made him pay for the pill.


    Feeling puzzled, he leaned over to Lily and asked cheekily, ¡°Am I not handsome enough?¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Lily turned her head and actually took a good look at Shaun¡¯s appearance.


    His features were well¨Cdefined, with deep¨Cset eyes and thin lipsplemented by a high, straight nose. His tousled hair partially covered one eye, giving him a mysterious vibe.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite handsome,¡± Lily replied sincerely.


    Loid cast a sidelong nce at Shaun. His expression had grown noticeably colder.


    Before Shaun had a chance to be happy, Lily dampened his enthusiasm by pointing at Loid and saying, ¡± But you¡¯re not as good¨Clooking as him!¡±


    Loid¡¯s face broke into a smile instantly.


    Shaun¡¯s expression soured slightly. He gritted his teeth and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s harsh.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    Lily didn¡¯t continue bantering with them and turned to Loid with a serious expression. ¡°Curing Bloodbane poison is <b>no </b>simple task. This batch of pills is different from the previous one I gave you.


    ¡°These pills can only protect your internal organs. I¡¯ll need to treat you daily for the next month without fail. Listen, during this period, you muste to me for daily treatment without fail, even if you have urgent matters. Otherwise, you won¡¯t survive beyond ten minutes.¡±


    Shaun was taken aback. ¡°Whoa, that sounds rming!¡±


    Lily nced at them and calmly said, ¡°Get someone to clean the kitchen, and don¡¯t disturb me for the next three hours<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Upon hearing that, Daniel rushed to the kitchen to clean up.


    ¡°You just said you can¡¯t make any more herbal pills today. Howe you¡¯re suddenly able to make them again?¡± Shaun asked, puzzled.


    Lily looked at him as if he were an idiot. ¡°Who told you I¡¯m making herbal pills?¡±


    Shaun was speechless. Lily was thinking of him as a fool once again.


    Lily ignored them and turned back to attend to her tasks. Loid left the kitchen with Shaun and Daniel, leaving her undisturbed. Half an hourter, Lily opened the kitchen door.


    She carried a bowl of dark herbal medicinal liquid and handed it to Loid, saying, ¡°Drink it.¡±


    Loid didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately drank the herbal medicine. After taking a sip, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. This bowl of herbal medicine was much more bitter than anything else he had taken.


    From the corners of his eyes, Loid caught Lily looking at him mockingly, leaving him feeling somewhat defiant. He had every reason to suspect that she intentionally prepared such a bitter concoction for him. After a moment of silence, Loid no longer hesitated and finished drinking it in one go.


    As soon as he finished drinking, Lily said, ¡°Daniel, fetch a bucket.¡±

 Chapter 72

    <b>Chapter </b>72N?velDrama.Org content.


    Daniel immediately understood and went to get a bucket from the bathroom. He had learned his lesson fromst time, so he brought a few more just in case. Daniel had just gotten the bucket when Loid¡¯s stomach churned, and he threw up a mouthful of blood


    There was quite a lot of blood, but the color was fainter than before. This time, there was a reddish tinge to it. Thest time Loid had thrown up blood, it had been pitch¨Cck, as if it was ink. Loid only stopped after throwing up two bucketfuls of blood mixed with water.


    Lily nced at Daniel. ¡°Pour the medicine that¡¯s cooking in the kitchen <i>into </i>the bathtub while keeping it on a simmer in the pot. Scoop some out every 15 minutes, and keep doing it until you¡¯ve filled the bathtub.


    Daniel waspletely won over by Lily, and he did as she said without any doubts.


    Shaun looked at how weak Loid was and said worriedly, ¡°He¡¯s thrown up so much blood. He won¡¯t die, will he?¡±


    Lily looked up. She had one hand resting on Loid¡¯s pulse, and she said in a measured tone, ¡°He¡¯s throwing up the toxins. At first, he didn¡¯t have much of a reaction to it. But the more he throws up, the cleaner his blood will be.


    ¡°After that, he¡¯ll experience dizziness, weakness, and other symptoms. It¡¯s normal. He¡¯ll recover after taking some supplements.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll bring supplements tomorrow so that we can build up his strength.¡± Shaun was finally relieved.


    After Lily had taken Loid¡¯s pulse, she propped her chin in one hand and stared intently at him. Her long eyshes fluttered, and there was a sly glint in her eye. ¡°Don¡¯t take too many supplements. You¡¯re not that strong, so it might be overkill if you take too many.¡±


    She was referring to his prowess in bed.


    Shaun and Loid both remained silent, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    Shaun blushed hotly, <i>and </i>he remained red for quite a while. He looked at Lily, then back at Loid, and finally said defeatedly, ¡°Loid, I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    As he was about to leave, he stopped once more and looked at Loid. After some time, he finally squeezed out the words, ¡°Do something about your girlfriend.¡±


    When Shaun had left, Loid finally recovered. He stared intently at Lily with a gleam in his ink¨Cck eyes. After a while, he leaned forward slightly and put his lips to her ear. ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t know that I wasn¡¯t strong?¡±


    His warm breath tickled her face, and she flushed slightly for no reason at all. They were very close to each other, and she could smell the scent of tobo on him. Lily did not like the smell of cigarettes, but she was not opposed to Loid¡¯s scent.


    The two of them gazed into each other¡¯s eyes for a long time before Lily looked away and said blithely, Do you know anything about medicine?¡±


    There was nothing wrong with Loid¡¯s energy in bed, but Lily was angry that he had lied about Jason and wanted to use the opportunity to tease him.


    Unexpectedly<i>, </i>she was the one who was unable to look him in the eye.


    11


    Loid had no answer to that.


    Fine! Since she was the one who was skilled in medicine, he¡¯d have to take her word for it!


    At that moment, Daniel was finally done filling the bathtub after having gone back and forth a few times. He came out and said respectfully to Lily, ¡°Ms. Brooks, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Lily made a noise of assent and followed Loid into the bathroom. Daniel did not follow as Loid had told him to leave.


    In the bathroom, Lily pointed at the bathtub. ¡°Take your clothes off and get in.¡±


    After a pause, she added, ¡°Take everything off.¡±


    Loid couldn¡¯t help coughing, and his handsome face burned with embarrassment. After a moment¡¯s pause, he asked slowly, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He sounded very hoarse, and he was as stiff as a board.


    He realized that when he was with Lily, he was not decisive at all. She always put him in an awkward position.


    Lily was unfazed, and there was no change in her expression. ¡°This is a medicated bath that I concocted very carefully. Apart from getting rid of the toxins, it can also strengthen your bones and tendons.


    ¡°You need to bathe in it for 49 days, and because it has such a strong medicinal effect, I need to stay here to monitor your reaction to it.¡±

 Chapter 73

    <b>Chapter </b><b>73</b>


    Initially, a medicated bath wasn¡¯t required to detoxify Lbid. This was an additional gift from Lily.


    Loid had been poisoned for half a year, and all his internal organs were damaged. Although some of his organs were slowly recovering after he hadpleted half of Lily¡¯s treatment regime, his body was already damaged. He would not be able to exert himself in the future.


    Unlike who he had been in the past, Loid would now only be able to lead the pampered life of a young heir.


    The purpose of the medicated bath was to achieve total transformation. It would transform Loid¡¯s current body so that he would be stronger. As for getting rid of the toxins, Lily had said that on purpose because she did not want Loid to feel like he owed her anything.


    She had always been very clear¨Cminded.


    Jason trusted Loid with his life, so Lily had to help him. Besides, Loid had been treating her very well ever since she arrived in Lagersfield, which was also why she was helping him.


    Loid stood on the spot for a long time. He looked up and pressed his ice¨Ccold lips together. ¡°Do <i>you </i>often treat your patients in this manner?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first one,¡± Lily answered honestly.


    She had sold the medicated bath to a few people in the past, but she hadn¡¯t personally gone to see its effects. She had only instructed the patient¡¯s family members to keep watch.


    Loid was the first patient that she was personally monitoring. The main reason was that the previous patients who had bought the medicated bath¡­ were too ugly. 1


    She didn¡¯t have any desire to watch them.


    Loid was fairly good¨Clooking, so she decided to make a sacrifice on her part and monitor him.


    Loid finally rxed, and he stroked her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be thest one. You¡¯re not allowed to treat anyone else in this way.¡±


    Lily raised her eyebrows and looked cheekily at him. Her answer was clear. Did Loid really think that he could control her?N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Loid coughed and decided to remain silent. He knew that he could not control what she did or didn¡¯t do. ¡°If you don¡¯t get in, it¡¯ll get cold,¡± Lily reminded him as she pointed at the bathtub.


    Loid was silent for a moment. Then, without hesitating further, he took off all his clothes. Lily had been calm at first, but at that moment, she began to feel uneasy. She blushed hotly at once and looked away instinctively.


    Loid felt much better when he saw how embarrassed she was, and he no longer felt awkward. He got into the bathtub while Lily stared at his body.


    She had to admit that Loid had an excellent figure. He had a six¨Cpack and was lean, with good posture. The scar from his tumors had disappeared, His body was so perfect that it was difficult not to have other thoughts.


    After a moment, Lily looked away and poured a packet of medicinal powder into the bathtub.


    She had used the blender in the kitchen to grind the herbs into a powder.


    After a moment, beads of sweat began to form on Loid¡¯s forehead. His body was in so much pain that he felt as if there were tons of metal battering him, but he forced himself to endure it silently.


    Lily looked at him in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be able to endure it <b>so </b>well.


    Loid was in so much pain that he instinctively grabbed Lily¡¯s hand. Her fingers stiffened, and she felt her heart skip a beat.


    She had always been cold and impassive, but she suddenly said, ¡°Hold on. The Deboning Medicated Bath is meant to be very painful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Loid clenched his teeth. No matter how painful it was, he did not make a single sound. He felt assured in her presence.


    The medicated bath finally ended after he had stayed in it for about an hour. When Loid got out of the bathtub, he felt light and rxed.


    Prior to that, he had been very weak because of the poisoning, but he was no longer weak. In fact, he felt very energetic.

 Chapter 74

    <b>Chapter </b><b>74</b>


    Loid put on his clothes and then pulled Lily into his embrace. Leaning in close to her ear, he said, ¡°Thanks. ¡°His voice was sultry.


    Lily pushed him away with a dry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t take advantage of me, Loid.¡±


    Loid didn¡¯t know what to say to that. He felt a headacheing on.


    That Friday, while Lily was at school, many people were arguing about the selection of the school beauty queen on the school forum.


    Most students were in support of Lily. They thought that she was not only pretty but also had a sense of justice. Just for her courage in standing up to Jack, she deserved to be named beauty queen.N?velDrama.Org content.


    The rest of the students supported Shannon. She was from a good family, had a pretty face, and was a straight¨CA student. She was also elegant and generous.


    While Lily was also pretty, they thought that she was not only bad at studies but also always got into fights. To them, she did not deserve the title of beauty queen.


    When Anya saw thosements on the forum, she turned off her phone in anger. For her, Lily was the undisputed beauty queen.


    Lily noticed her displeasure when she came into the ss.


    She slung her bag over the back of her chair as she nced sideways at Anya. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just reading thements about the beauty queen selection on the forum. Our ss thinks it should be you, but most of the other students support Shannon,¡± Anya said sulkily.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lily gave her a look before taking a book out of her bag.


    It was an <i>ancient </i>medical tome, written in an ancientnguage.


    Anya nced at the book, but she did not know what kind of book it was, so she looked away again.


    Lily had always been strange. She was always reading books in strangenguages that no one else could understand. <i>Anya </i>was used <i>to </i>it by now.


    ¡°Are <i>you </i>not angry?¡± she asked curiously.


    After spending so much time with Lily over the past few days, Anya hade to know her better. Lily had a hot temper. If anyone offended her, she preferred to get physical rather than talk it out.


    However, she seemed unbothered this time.


    ¡°Why would I get angry?¡± Lily flipped to the middle of her book as she answered Anya casually.


    She was currently researching a new acupuncture technique that could elevate her medical skills to another level.


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that you¡¯re hot¨Ctempered and a bad student. Shouldn¡¯t you get offended by that?¡± Anya was starting <i>to </i>feel like she didn¡¯t understand Lily at all


    Lily smirked. ¡°I am hot¨Ctempered and a bad student.¡±


    Defeated, Anya stopped questioning her. Then, she suddenly thought of something and took out a drawing from her bag.


    ¡°Poppy Graham from ss 1 asked me to give this to you.¡±


    It was a cartoonish drawing of a woman in a cap and a pair ofrge headphones. She had her hands in her pockets as she leaned against a tree. Her fringe was slightly parted by an unseen breeze. She looked cool.


    Lily smiled when she saw the drawing. So bright and happy was her smile that Anya was dazed when she saw it. She¡¯d seen Lily smile before, but her smiles were typically faint and cold.


    This time, however, her smile was sincere. There was no trace of coldness at all.


    Anya watched as she put the drawing into her bag. Her movements were gentle as if the drawing was some precious treasure.


    ¡°Do you know Poppy?¡± Anya asked dazedly after a moment.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lily seemed to be in a good mood. Her tone was lilting.


    Anya fell deep in thought for a moment, biting her lower lip in worry. She grabbed Lily¡¯s arm anxiously but let go again quickly without saying anything.


    Lily looked down at her hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nothing.¡± Anya¡¯s smile looked forced.


    Lily closed her book and looked at her earnestly. ¡°Is someone making trouble for you?¡±


    ¡°No, not me,¡± Anya said hurriedly. She lowered her head back down to stare at her book. Lily narrowed her eyes. She did not press further.

 Chapter 75

    <b>Chapter </b>75T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Right before ss started, a girl with short hair approached Lily and said softly, ¡°Can I collect your physics homework, Lily?¡±


    She was the ss representative for physics, Emma Green.


    She was supposed to collect everyone¡¯s homework first thing in the morning, but she was scared of Lily, so she only approached her now.


    ¡°Here.¡± Lily took out a stack of papers from her bag and rifled through them for her physics homework. She then handed the correct one to Emma.


    Emma stared at the paper and then back at Lily in surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t do it at all?¡±


    Lily leaned back in her chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of it.¡±


    Emma grimaced. Even if she was unfamiliar with the topic, she would still know something. If Lily <i>knew </i>nothing, then¡­


    Emma sighed.


    It looked like ss 18 was about to be the subject of ridicule for the other sses once again.


    After some hesitation, Emma said, ¡°You know, if you¡¯re struggling with your homework, you could always ask me. I¡¯ll tutor you to the best of my abilities. You can also ask Anya.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t want her ssmates to be ridiculed by the other students, so she gathered her courage and tried to talk sense into Lily.


    Lily smiled. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡±


    Emma sighed again and left.


    Anya leaned over and looked through the stack of papers. ¡°You didn¡¯t do any homework?¡± she eximed.


    <i>She </i>spoke rather loudly. Ian came over as well to see Lily¡¯s papers andughed. ¡°You¡¯re really something else, Lily. These are quite easy. How can you not know it? You¡¯re really gonna be famous in school!¡±


    Lily gave him a sideways nce. ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡±


    How could heugh at her when he was constantly at the bottom of the ss?


    now<i>.</i><i>¡±</i>


    Finally, there was someone worse than him when it came to studying.


    Lily ignored him and continued reading her book.


    The morning sses were mostly exining yesterday¡¯s homework. The students of ss 18 were bad at studying in the first ce, so they weren¡¯t interested in the sses at all.


    After a grueling morning, it was finally time for lunch.


    Just as Lily was above to <i>go </i>to the cafeteria with Anya, a shriek sounded. One of their ssmates said unhappily, ¡°What the hell, Edwin? You almost ruptured my eardrums.¡±


    Edwin Prince was clutching his phone, trembling in excitement. ¡°Lucas Garcia is holding a concert here at Lagersfield!¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop pulling my leg. I know Lucas¡® entire schedule for the year.¡± Another student scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s not


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Edwin showed his phone to the rest of the ss. ¡°His agency just put out a post saying that he¡¯s going to hold a concert here next Saturday!¡±


    Hearing this, the other students took out their own phones to check the news.


    Chaos broke out promptly.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Lucas ising to Lagersfield! I¡¯m so excited!¡± one of the students screamed.


    ¡°Oh my god, I need to ask my mom to send me more money. I need to get a ticket to the concert!¡±


    ¡°Lucas¡® concert tickets are notoriously hard to get. Do you think we¡¯ll be able to get them? And also, we¡¯re in grade 12 now. What if the teachers want us to stay for extra sses on Saturday?¡±


    ¡°Oh, screw them! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be able to get into college with my results anyway. Lucas¡® concert is a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime experience. I would do anything to attend!¡±


    What a coincidence.


    Just a few days ago, Lily had said that Lucas would hold a concert in Lagersfield. It didn¡¯t take long for her ims toe true.


    Lily pped him away.

 Chapter 76

    <b>Chapter </b><b>76</b>


    ¡°Fuck off.¡± Lily didn¡¯t want to talk to the idiot that wasn.


    Anya stared at her phone in silence for a while. Then, she put her phone back in her pocket and looked at Lily. ¡°Shall we go have lunch?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Lily raised her eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go to the concert?¡±


    Anyaughed bitterly. ¡°I want to, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lily stuck her hands in her pocket as she followed Anya out of the ssroom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the money,¡± Anya said.


    She was from a poor vige. Her parents worked very hard just to send her to school. She didn¡¯t want to use their money for a concert.


    Lily nced at her, pursing her lips without saying anything.


    They arrived at the cafeteria and sat down to eat. Halfway through their meal, Jack approached them with his tray. He stood beside Lily somewhat reverently. ¡°May I sit with <i>you</i>, Ms, Brooks?¡±


    From the moment Jack approached Lily, everyone¡¯s eyes were on them. They didn¡¯t know that Jack¡¯s leg had healed, so they were all surprised to see him up and about. Some of them thought that Jack was trying to make trouble for Lily again.


    After all, they all knew that an arrogant scion like Jack would never apologize to anyone of his own ord, especially not to someone who had humiliated him and crippled his leg. He wouldn¡¯t rest until he got his revenge.


    They thought that he¡¯d been forced to apologize to Lily that day. Now, they were all waiting for a show.


    However, when they saw Jack just standing respectfully beside Lily with no sign of getting angry, they were all shocked. Lily looked up and saw Anya slightly curling up into herself from fear. She frowned. ¡°Go sit over there. You¡¯re scaring my friend.¡°.


    ¡°<i>Oh</i>, okay.¡± Jack did as he was told obediently.


    There were only so many people who could make Jack so meek. Seeing this, the other students lowered their heads, too scared <i>to </i>meet Lily¡¯s eyes.


    She was terrifying. They didn¡¯t want <i>to </i>cross her.


    After lunch, Lily and her friends left the cafeteria. Jack followed them out hurriedly.


    This time, he went up to Anya and lowered his head deferentially. ¡°Anya, I¡¯m sorry for everything I¡¯ve done to you in the past. I hope <i>you </i>can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Anya had not expected this, so she was confused.


    Lily andn stood beside her silently.


    Jack nced at Lily before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m willing topensate you for any physical or mental harm that I¡¯ve done to you. Or you can treat me the way I used to treat you if you want. I won¡¯t retaliate.¡±


    Anya finally came back to her senses, but she still didn¡¯t dare to meet Jack¡¯s gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need for anypensation. I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    Jack breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lily did not say anything. She just pulled Anya along with her and left.


    Lily looked up and smiled coldly. ¡°Probably because I¡¯m not a good person.¡±


    Anya stopped. ¡°You are a good person!¡± she said earnestly.


    Lilyughed and patted Anya on the head. ¡°You¡¯re dumb.¡±


    Anya was confused.


    Was she dumb?


    Lily was a good person. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Before she could say anything else, Lily walked away.

 Chapter 77

    <b>Chapter </b>77


    Over at the Lagersfield City Hospital, Julia brought her family to the VIP ward. At the <i>door </i>of the ward, they were stopped by two men in ck suits.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± one of the men asked coldly.


    Julia frowned in displeasure. ¡°What is this? I¡¯ve never been questioned when I¡¯m just here <i>to </i>visit a patient.


    The bodyguard just stared at her impassively. ¡°No one is allowed to enter without Mr. Laurier¡¯s permission.¡±


    Julia was furious. Loid again! Lily had only just moved into Anmer Heightes for a few days, and she already had Loid wrapped around her little finger. He had even sent bodyguards to protect Belinda!


    This was infuriating!


    ¡°Look,d, just let us in. The patient is one of our rtives. We¡¯re just here to visit him. Loid is my grandson¨Cinw. I¡¯ll talk to himter,¡± Julia said without showing her displeasure.


    ¡°No.¡± The bodyguard¡¯s tone was as cold as ever. His expression didn¡¯t even change.


    Julia narrowed her eyes. She pulled out a wad of cash from her wallet and gave it to the bodyguard. ¡°We¡¯ll just go in for a few minutes. You can just turn the other way. I¡¯m sure Loid won¡¯t reprimand you.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The bodyguard pushed Julia away. Stumbling a little, she almost fell to the ground, saved only by Susan¡¯s quick reflexes.


    The bodyguard¡¯s expression did not even change. ¡°Leave now, before I throw you out.¡±


    Hearing this, Susan got angry. She snapped, ¡°Watch your mouth! Listen here. I¡¯m Lily Brooks¡® mother. If you make me angry, I¡¯ll tell her to fire all of you!¡±


    The bodyguard ignored her.


    ¡°You!¡± Furious, Susan jabbed her finger at the bodyguard. She wanted to curse him out, but she still had a reputation to uphold, so her words were stuck in her throat.


    Julia pulled Susan away. ¡°That¡¯s enough. They¡¯re clearly not going to let us in,¡± said Julia.


    <i>¡°</i><i>So </i>we¡¯re just going to leave?¡± Susan asked unwillingly.


    She¡¯d spent thest few years enjoying a life of luxury, but ever since Lily appeared in her life, her image as an elegant upper¨Cssdy seemed <i>to </i>disintegrate before her eyes.


    Even now, bodyguards were treating her like a nobody. She didn¡¯t want to leave. At the very least, she wanted to teach the bodyguards a lesson for disrespecting her.


    ¡°Leave?¡± Julia snorted coldly. ¡°Have you forgotten why we¡¯re here today?¡±


    Susan¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°But we can¡¯t <i>go </i>in!¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb?¡± Julia was really starting to dislike Susan. If it were not for Shannon, she would¡¯ve kicked her out of the Martinez family years ago. ¡°There are other ways to get into that ward. You¡¯re still Belinda¡¯s ex¨Cdaughter¨Cinw and Lily¡¯s mother. She won¡¯t refuse a visit from you.¡±


    Susan understood what she needed to do at once.


    She went closer to the door. <b>¡°</b>Mom, I¡¯m here to see you I¡¯m sorry for what I did in the past. I¡¯m here to apologize. Please let me in!¡±

 Chapter 78

    <b>Chapter 78</b>


    Susan hadn¡¯t wanted to address Belinda as ¡°Mom,¡± but she had no choice. She had to swallow her pride in order to get into the ward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for neglecting Lily. I¡¯m really trying topensate her for that. What I said that day was said out of a fit of anger. She¡¯s still my daughter, after all.¡±


    Inside the ward, Belinda heard themotion outside.


    She didn¡¯t want to see Belinda. After Lily had lost her temperst time, she was worried about how Lily would react if Susan did something bad to her again. She didn¡¯t care about Susan, but she cared about Lily. She didn¡¯t want Lily to get arrested because of Belinda.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she got out of bed and opened the door to the ward.


    She looked at the crowd of people gathered outside, then said to the bodyguards, ¡°Thanks for your work. You can let them in. I know them.¡±


    The bodyguards nced at each other before letting Julia and the others in. However, as soon as they got in, one of the bodyguards called Loid.


    ¡°Mr. Laurier, some people from the Martinez family are here to visit Ms. Brooks¡¯s grandmother. Madam Hutchinson allowed them inside. I couldn¡¯t stop them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Loid hung up immediately after that.


    In the ward, Belinda settled on the bed and pointed to the small couch at the side. ¡°Make yourselffortable.¡±


    Julia did not sit down. She went up to the bed and took Belinda¡¯s hand with a concerned expression. ¡± Belinda, I¡¯m sorry that I only found time to visit you now! How do you feel?¡±


    Belinda took her hand back impassively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself about this. I¡¯m just the same; right on death¡¯s doorstep.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Belinda. You¡¯re still young,¡± Julia said with a kind smile. Anyone who didn¡¯t know better would¡¯ve been fooled by her kind expression. ¡°Just let me know if you need anything. I¡¯ll help you in way I can.¡±


    Ever since Susan threw a tantrum at the hospital, Belinda had lost all pleasant feelings toward her. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t be fooled by Julia¡¯s act.


    any


    She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m old. What could I need at my age? Don¡¯t worry about me. Lily will help me if I really need anything.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a child. She won¡¯t be able <i>to </i>help you much Julia said as she patted Belinda¡¯s hand. ¡°Just let her focus on her studies so that she can get into a good college in the future.¡±


    Belinda gave her a look, a faint smile on her face. ¡°Mrs. Martinez Senior, what do you want? You can¡¯t be here just to visit me, judging by how many people you brought. Just say what you want straight.¡±


    Julia stiffened, but her expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Sharp as ever, Belinda. Yes, we¡¯re here because we have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    She fell silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°We¡¯d like to ask if you could convince Lily to allow Shannon to go back to Anmer Heights.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help you with that. This is Lily¡¯s own decision <i>to </i>make. Plus, Anmer Heights doesn¡¯t belong to Lily. She can¡¯t decide that either,¡± Belinda said, her expression grave.


    She¡¯d always known that the Martinez family weren¡¯t good people. This just proved her right. They were all scheming against Lily.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lily¡¯s grandmother. She¡¯ll listen to you. She just has to talk to Loid and it¡¯ll be done,¡± Julia said with a smile.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help you.¡± Belinda didn¡¯t want to continue talking <i>to </i>her anymore, <i>so </i>she said bluntly, ¡°I need


    to rest. Please leave now.¡±


    Julia¡¯s expression darkened. She couldn¡¯t believe that Belinda, a poor vige woman, would talk to her like that.


    She stood up, the smile disappearing from her face. ¡°You and Lily came to Lagersfield with nothing to your name. We helped you get the help you needed from the hospital, and we never mistreated Lily. And now, you won¡¯t even help us with such a small thing?¡±

 Chapter 79

    <b>Chapter 79</b>


    Belindaughed at that.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Mrs. Martinez Senior, I may be old, but my memory still serves me well. I know for a fact that Lily was the one who paid for my hospital bills. That has nothing to do with the Martinez family.¡±


    Julia paused for a moment. Turning to Susan, she asked, ¡°What is she talking about?¡±


    Susan trembled slightly. ¡°We used the card Loid gave Lily, Mom.¡±


    Susan still didn¡¯t believe that Lily would have that much money. She thought that the card belonged <i>to </i>Loid, so she never mentioned it to the rest of the Martinez family.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Julia red at Susan.


    Susan lowered her head and kept quiet.


    Julia ignored her and turned back to Belinda. ¡°Since we¡¯re being honest here, I¡¯ll stop beating about the bush. We told Lily to marry Loid in Shannon¡¯s ce because we thought Shannon was too young for marriage. However, Shannon has matured a lottely, so Lily doesn¡¯t need to sacrifice herself anymore.¡±


    She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°As you know, Loud wanted to marry Shannon in the first ce. Even though he has epted Lily for now, it doesn¡¯t mean that he likes her. You know how Lily is. He might think she¡¯s interesting now, but what about the future?¡±


    Belinda thought for a moment. ¡°This is between the two of them. I don¡¯t want to get involved.¡±


    ¡°I can see that you love Lily a lot. But if you really love her, you should think about her future. Loid is not meant for her. You know very well that your family background is far beneath his. She¡¯s just going to humiliate herself by marrying him. Do you really want her to face all that scorn from the Laurier family?¡± Belinda pursed her lips without answering.


    Julia smiled. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for the good of both our families, Belinda. And also so that Lily wouldn¡¯t get hurt in the long run. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Even if I agree, Lily wouldn¡¯t,¡± Belinda said, wavering.


    She had only met Loid <i>once</i>. She didn¡¯t know him at all. She was also worried that Lily would get hurt.


    ¡°She¡¯ll listen to <i>you</i>. She cares about you a lot,¡± Julia said.


    Belinda hesitated, then nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to her But not for your sake. I¡¯m doing this for her. Also, you don¡¯t need <i>to </ie visit me anymore. We don¡¯t need to see each other,¡± she said, politely indicating that they should leave.


    Now that she had gotten what she wanted, Julia had no reason to stay any longer. She left with the rest of the Martinez family.


    At the entrance of the hospital, Liam finally spoke up, Mom, why are you insisting on Shannon marrying Loid? Also, Lily may be a little bad¨Ctempered, but she never did anything to us. Why can¡¯t you just leave her be?¡±


    Julia snorted. ¡°What the hell do you know? Lily¡¯s a brat. We can¡¯t fix her. But she¡¯s also very pretty, so if she stays by Loid¡¯s side for any longer, he might fall in love with her. We need to get Shannon into Anmer Heights as soon as we can so that it doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about Shannon¡¯s future? What are people going to think about her when they find out that she¡¯s seducing her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦?¡±


    er


    Julia had always been the decision¨Cmaker for the Martinez family. She had full veto power over every decision. No one else could say anything against her.


    Liam had always opposed the n of letting Lily marry Loid in Shannon¡¯s ce, but his objections had gone unheard.


    He just hadn¡¯t expected Julia to go so far in her bid for a marriage alliance with the Laurier family. She was really willing to do just about anything to get what she wanted.

 Chapter 80

    <b>Chapter </b><b>80</b>


    ¡°All I care about is the future of the Martinez family,¡± said Julia while shooting Liam a cold look.


    ¡°If only you had been of more use, I wouldn¡¯t need to work this hard for the family. The only thing you¡¯ve done right was to give birth to Jason and Shannon. Without them, you wouldn¡¯t have a say in the family. You¡¯re not even half as good as your older brother!¡±


    ¡°Fine! If Lionel is much better than me, why didn¡¯t you force his kids into an arranged marriage with the Laurier family?¡± Liam finally exploded in anger. He bellowed at Julia, ¡°Are your sons and grandchildren to be sacrificed at your expense? If so, why did you even give birth to me in the first ce?¡±


    After that, Liam stormed away in fury.


    Susan stared at Liam¡¯s angry figure and clenched her fists. A brief look of resentment shed across her face. She had always known that Julia looked down on their family, but she was aghast to learn that Julia perceived Liam as worthlesspared to Lionel.


    She wondered how much better was Lionel¡¯s family faringpared to hers.


    At Ember Creek High School, Lily didn¡¯t feel like staying in ss for thest two lessons as it was a self- study session. Instead, she nned to take a nap somewhere by the field.


    When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she found Emma and Anya surrounded by Shelby and her gang from ss 1.


    Shelby yelled in a mocking tone, ¡°Are you guys delusional? Attending Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert? What a joke! Can you afford the tickets in the first ce? Even if you can afford the tickets, can you get your hands on them?¡±


    The students in ss 1 to ss 3 on the first floor poked their heads out to watch the drama whileughing sarcastically at the victims.


    Head hung low, Anya held Emma¡¯s arm and took a step backward. She hissed, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Ever since Anya got acquainted with Lily, she seemed bolder, to the point she could openly talk back to Shelby. In the past, she had always tried to stay out of Shelby¡¯sne.


    Shelby folded her arms and snorted. ¡°Look at you, acting all arrogant after bing Lily¡¯spdog. Anya Mosley, you shouldn¡¯t think that you¡¯re invincible with Lily Brooks¡® support. She isn¡¯t the queen of Ember Creek yet, and she can¡¯t be of much help to you.¡±


    ¡°Shelby, what has Lily done to you? Why would you speak of her in that manner?¡± Anya might be rather timid, but she¡¯d never allow anyone to speak ill of Lily.


    Shelby smirked. ¡°Are you having too much fun being herckey? Since you¡¯re so cozy with her, why don¡¯t you ask her for a concert ticket? What¡¯s the point of yapping about attending the concert when you know you can¡¯t make it at the end of the day?¡±


    ¡°I never said I¡¯d go!¡± Anya blushed in anger. ¡°We¡¯re all students. Even if you can afford the tickets, you¡¯re buying them with your family¡¯s money!¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Seeing red, Shelby tried to hit Anya, but her friends held her back. They reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what happened to Jack? Lily clearly said that she has Anya¡¯s back. What will you do if Lily gets back at you for hurting Anya?<b>¡±</b>


    <b>Chapter </b>80


    ¡°All! care about is the future of the Martinez family,¡± said Julia while shooting Liam a cold look.


    ¡°If only you had been of more use, I wouldn¡¯t need to work this hard for the family. The only thing you¡¯ve done right was to give birth to Jason and Shannon. Without them, you wouldn¡¯t have a say in the family. You¡¯re not even half as good as your older brother!¡±


    ¡°Fine! If Lionel is much better than me, why didn¡¯t you force his kids into an arranged marriage with the Laurier family?¡± Liam finally exploded in anger. He bellowed at Julia, ¡°Are your sons and grandchildren to be sacrificed at your expense? If so, why did you even give birth to me in the first ce?¡±


    After that, Liam stormed away in fury.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Susan stared at Liam¡¯s angry figure and clenched her fists. A brief look of resentment shed across her face. She had always known that Julia looked down on their family, but she was aghast to learn that Julia perceived Liam as worthlesspared to Lionel.


    She wondered how much better was Lionel¡¯s family faringpared to hers.


    At Ember Creek High School, Lily didn¡¯t feel like staying in ss for thest two lessons as it was a self- study session. Instead, she nned to take a nap somewhere by the field.


    When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she found Emma and Anya surrounded by Shelby and her gang from ss 1.


    Shelby yelled in a mocking tone, ¡°Are you guys delusional? Attending Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert? What a joke! Can you afford the tickets in the first ce? Even if you can afford the tickets, can you get your


    hands on them?¡±


    The students in ss 1 to ss 3 on the first floor poked their heads out to watch the drama whileughing sarcastically at the victims.


    Head hung low, Anya held Emma¡¯s arm and took a step backward. She hissed, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Ever since Anya got acquainted with Lily, she seemed bolder, to the point she could openly talk back to Shelby. In <i>the </i>past, she had always tried to stay out of Shelby¡¯sne.


    Shelby folded her arms and snorted. ¡°Look at you, acting all arrogant after bing Lily¡¯spdog. Anya Mosley, you shouldn¡¯t think that you¡¯re invincible with Lily Brooks¡® support. She isn¡¯t the queen of Ember Creek yet, and she can¡¯t be of much help to you.¡±


    ¡°Shelby, what has Lily done to you? Why would you speak of her in that manner?¡± Anya might be rather timid, but she¡¯d never allow anyone to speak ill of Lily.


    Shelby smirked. ¡°Are you having too much fun being herckey? Since you¡¯re so cozy with her, why don¡¯t you ask her for a concert ticket? What¡¯s the point of yapping about attending the concert when you know <i>you </i>can¡¯t make it at the end of the day?¡±


    ¡°I never said I¡¯d go!¡± Anya blushed in anger. ¡°We¡¯re all students. Even if you can afford the tickets, you¡¯re buying them with your family¡¯s money!¡±


    <i>¡°</i>You-¡± Seeing red, Shelby tried to hit Anya, but her friends held her back. They reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what happened to Jack? Lily clearly said that she has Anya¡¯s back. What will you do if Lily gets back at you for hurting Anya?¡±


    Chapter 80


    ¡°Lily Brooks is just a country bumpkin. I¡¯m not scared of her.¡± Despite saying that, Shelby ultimately did noty a hand on Anya.


    After witnessing the confrontation, Lily coldly marched over to the group. Upon seeing Lily, the other students panicked and stumbled backward. Simrly, Shelby looked uneasy and taken aback by Lily¡¯s appearance. She tried to avoid Lily¡¯s gaze.


    Soon, she realized that her uneasiness would only embolden Lily. With that in mind, she straightened her back and confronted Lily. ¡°You¡¯re quite powerful, aren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you get two concert tickets for Anya and Emma each? If you can¡¯t do that, you should tone down your arrogance.¡±

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Even if one could afford it, a ticket to Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert was hard toe by Shelby wanted to see Lily begging for Loid¡¯s help. She assumed Loid wouldn¡¯t be too happy about Lily paying for a ticket to watch another man perform


    Shelby¡¯s <b>eyes </b>sparkled with menace at that thought. She couldn¡¯t wait to witness Loid kicking Lily out of the house 1


    To her surprise, Lily merely nced at her before agreeing with a smile, ¡°Sure<b>!</b>¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    She didn¡¯t anticipate Lily to readily agree to the daunting task. It took her a while to collect herself. Then, she taunted Lily while feeling secretly jealous <b>of </b>her


    ¡°Wow, you sure are generous after getting hitched to Loid Laurier, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re even giving out tickets worth thousands of dors without a second thought?¡±


    Lily put her hands in her pockets. With a frosty smile, she announced, ¡°I¡¯m not only getting concert tickets for Anya and Emma, I¡¯m getting tickets for everyone in ss 18.¡±


    Anya grew worried upon hearing that ¡°I don¡¯t want it! Lily, don¡¯t buy the tickets for us.¡±


    She had heard from Tan about Lily marrying Loid Laurier in Shannon¡¯s ce. Knowing that Lily came from humble origins, she didn¡¯t want Lily to owe Loid a favor lest Loid looked down on her.


    din, ¡°Idon¡¯t


    Emma chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t want it either.¡±


    Hearing Lily¡¯s boast, Shelby snorted and <b>said</b>, ¡°I anticipate your generous move. Let¡¯s see if you can get tickets for everyone in your ss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet.¡± Lily tied her head with a malicious smile on her lips.


    ¡°Yeah. Why not?¡± Feeling challenged, Shelby <b>blurted </b>out, ¡°What should we bet on?


    Lily stroked her chin with her slender fingers. An evil gleam appeared across her eyes. She suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go for running! The loser shall run a hundredps around <b>the </b>running track!¡±


    Shelby was stunned and speechless. Ap was approximately a quarter <b>of </b>a mile. She would rally die if she had to repeat <b>that </b>a hundred times.


    Lily arched her brow. ¡°Why? Are you scared?


    ¡°Of course not! Let¡¯s <b>do </b>it!¡± Shelby, always egoistical, refused to lose to Lily, Moreover, she assumed that Loid wouldn¡¯t graciously help Lily<b>, </b>not when the concert tickets added <b>up </b>to tens of thousands of dors.


    Lily nodded. ¡°It¡¯s on! Then, she left without another word


    After Lily left, Shelby tried to publicize Lily¡¯s promise to purchase concert tickets for everyone in ss 18.


    Lily¡¯s ssmates were initially thrilled Struck by a thought, one of them stated, ¡°Lily is pretty generous and loyal. She finally raised the profile of our ss after we¡¯ve been looked down on by the other sses.


    ¡°It¡¯s just <b>a </b>bet, but still, it feels good. Anyway, she¡¯ll need tens of thousands of dors for the tickets. Can she afford that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Her family has financial issues. We¡¯ll only put her through a lot of trouble if she gets into debt just to buy tickets for us.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all chip in some money for the tickets? We can¡¯t have the other sses looking down on us.¡±


    Meanwhile,nsat in the back of the ss, resting his chin in his palm. His eyes wavered in a pensive manner.


    Soon, he rose from his seat and approached his ssmates. He offered, ¡°Count me in. I¡¯ll chip in five grand.¡±


    He only bad five <b>grand </b>as his monthly allowance anyway and <b>couldn¡¯t </b>afford anything more than that


    At the same time, Alexis watched the exchange from afar with an evil glint in her eyes.


    Lold gracefully served an old man some coffee in a hotel near Ember Creek High School With a smile, he said, ¡°Mr. Woodley, please!!


    Shaun and Daniel sat by Lald¡¯s side without a word, knowing that Loid was in charge of the situation.


    The principal of Ember Creek High School, Joseph Woodley, nodded andplimented Loid, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your exceptional coffee brewing techniques. After having a taste, I bave to say it¡¯s true.¡±


    Cha

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    ¡°Mr. Woodley<b>, </b>you¡¯re ttering me.¡± Loid <b>smiled </b>tantly while pouring himself a cup of tea


    Joseph shot Loid a knowing look. He then began, ¡°Loid, I heard a miracle¨Cworking doctor cured your illness. I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but looking at you now, I¡¯m inclined to trust the rumors. I wonder if you could introduce me to this doctor?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was sheer luck 1 ran into her. She vanished after I was cured. I don¡¯t low where she is,¡± Loid replied courteously.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t press you if you refuse to tell me about it,¡± said Joseph, who took another sip of tea before looking up. ¡°Loid, you must be here for other matters than a tea¨Cdrinking session. Why don¡¯t you get to the point?


    Smiling. Loid it a cigarette while tapping the fingers of his free hand on the table. He slowly <b>began</b>, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve read the online posts regarding me on Ember Creek¡¯s forum?


    ¡°Posts about you?¡± Joseph looked at him quizzically. He had been busy with family matters and neglected school administrative work. Therefore, he was clorless when Loid brought up the posts.


    ¡°Someone posted on the forum to nder my fianc¨¦e. As the school principal, I¡¯m sure you are aware of the negative effects of online bullying on a student. We should eradicate such a toxic culture. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Then, Loid flicked the cigarette ashed with a squint. He no longer seemed as amicable as before.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Under Loid¡¯s cold scrutiny, Joseph frowned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what has happened in school. I¡¯ll open an investigation into it. If such posts exist, I will take stem action on the students involved.¡±


    Loid nodded, his attitude softening. ¡°Thanks¡±


    In the next 10 minutes, the four of them enjoyed


    ed tea <b>in </b>a rxed, friendly silence<b>, </b>asionally making a remark or two.


    Momentster, Loid stole a nce at joseph. ¡°Mr. Woodley, you¡¯re nearing retirement. What are your post¨Cretirement ns?¡±


    Joseph smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy a slow life after retirement. As for the school¨CI¡¯ve found may sessor.¡±


    ¡°Will that be your grandson? Loid <b>casually </b>inquired.


    Loid squinted at the old man without a word. Shaun looked up, asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pass the reins to Matt Woodky?¡±


    ¡°Thave a better candidate. Too bad she hasn¡¯t agreed to my offer.¡± Joseph took a sip of tea and let out a sigh.


    Shaun¡¯s eyes widened in shock ¡°The sessor you hand¨Cpicked refused to take over?¡±


    <b>What </b>on earth? Did the appointed sessor understand Joseph Woodley¡¯s legacy or the significance of Ember Creek High School? Shaun thought, ¡°How dare she turn down the offer?¡±


    Lold was equally surprised. He was sure that Joseph made the right choice, but he was puzzled by the candidate¡¯s decision to decline the offer.


    Joseph let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to change her mind ¡°Then, he nced at the clock and said, ¡°I have some matters to tend to. I won¡¯t hang around. I¡¯ll look into the posts and get in touch with youter.¡±


    <b>Loid </b>rose from his seat ¡°Sure. Have a good day, Mr. Woodley.¡±


    Shaun and Daniel <b>stood </b>up at the same time. After Joseph let, Shaun turned to Loid<b>, </b>saying, ¡°Loid, something feels off¡±


    Loid gracefully sipped at <b>his </b>tea without a word while leaning against the chair.


    Shan, never one to hold back his thoughts, sat beside Loid and blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mart his favorite grandson? Mr. Woodley once <b>said </b><b>he¡¯d </b>pass the reins to Matt Why did he suddenly decide on another candidate? Doesn¡¯t that feel odd to you


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing weird about it.¡± Loid got up from the seat emotionlessly. ¡°Mr. Woodley has always gone about things in his own fashion. Let¡¯s just observe by the sidelines.¡±


    Then, he checked the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to pick <b>up </b>Lay from school¡±


    Shaun lett with Loid without asking any questions,


    Chapter 83

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    After school, Lily received a call from Belinda right after she hopped into Loid¡¯s car. Belinda said to her, ¡°Lily, please drop by the hospital after school I need to talk to you


    Belinda didn¡¯t sound quite like herself. Squinting curiously, Lily replied coldly, ¡°Will do ¡±


    <b>Lold</b><b>, </b>who sat beside Lily, overheard the conversation. He took her hand and informed her in a hoarse voice, ¡°People from the Martinez family met with your grandmother today.¡±


    She tilted her head and stared at him for a while. Then, she shed a frosty smile at him. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Sicting in front of the car, <b>Shaun </b>couldn¡¯t help but finch when he sensed the growing rage in Lily. He decided to keep his mouth shut and avoid trouble


    Twenty minutester<b>, </b>they arrived at the hospital entrance. Lily and the others went right over to Belinda¡¯s ward.


    Belinda fell into a short silence when she saw Loid. Then, she slowly suggested, ¡°Mr. Laurier, can you and your friends give us some space? I need to have a private talk with Lily.¡±


    Loid was fine with that ¡°Sure.¡± He left the ward with Shane and Daniel


    Lily took her seat and quietly peeled an apple for Belinda Belinda ate the apple while struggling to broach the topic.


    <b>A </b>whileter, she put aside the <b>apple </b>and held Lily¡¯s hand. She suggested, ¡°Let Shannon join you at Lold¡¯s ce. Since you¡¯re sisters, you can take care of each other.¡±


    Lily looked at Belinda with a sharp gaze and an emotionless grin.¡°okay.¡±


    Belinda was taken aback when Lily readily agreed to the idea. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for the reason.


    ¡°Why, then?¡± Lily peeled another apple and munched on it while cheekily asking Belinda.


    Belinda was rendered speechless. She shouldn¡¯t have prompted Lily.


    Lily patted her on the shoulder upon noticing her troubled expression. ¡°Just focus on your recovery. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. I know what to do.¡±


    Sighing, Belinda remarked<b>, </b>¡°I¡¯m doing this for your best interest. Lily, I want to see you happy no matter what happens. I quite like Loid¨Chees from a good family and he¡¯s handsome. But <b>he¡¯s </b>not the right person for you.¡±


    Lily held Belinda¡¯s wrinkled <b>hand</b>. She assured Belinda with a genuine smile<b>, </b>¡°I¡¯ll be happy as long as you¡¯re alive and healthy.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    In reality, she knew that it was a matter of time before Bnda left the world even without the poisoning incident. After all, every being had to face their mortality at some point. She couldn¡¯t do anything about Belinda¡¯s advanced <b>age</b>.


    Belinda patted her hand, looking hesitant to speak. She ultimately said nothing to her granddaughter


    Lily lett Belinda¡¯s ward after half an hour. Loid and his friends were waiting for her outside the door. She nced at them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The temperature dropped that day, but Lily only had a thin sweater on her. She trembled in the cold.


    Suddenly, she was enveloped in warmth. She looked up and found Loid draping his jacket over her before pulling her into <b>a </b>hug. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder. You should bundle up.¡±


    For a moment, she was entranced by his charms. He said nothing more as he made his way forward while holding her. She followed suit without a word.


    Meanwhile, Shaon and Daniel held their tongues because they could see that Lily <b>was </b>in a foul <b>mood</b>. They went home by cab after leaving the hospital as they didn¡¯t want to stay around Lily any longer due to the depressing atmosphere around her.


    Lily sat in the front passenger seat and stared silently out of the window. Pressing his lips together<b>, </b><b>Loud </b>looked at her from the corners <b>of </b>his eyes. ¡°What did your grandma say to you?¡± His voice was raspy with a masculine charm


    She turned around with a twinkle in her eye and a faint smile. ¡°She said you¡¯re not the right person for m

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Loid stepped on the <b>brakes</b>, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He stared at Lily for a while before blurting out, ¡°But I think we¡¯re rip


    Little did he know he was trembling after hearing what Lily <b>said</b>.


    She chuckled ¡°I was joking ¡±


    Stunned, he then shot her a disgruntled look. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny. Don¡¯t make that joke <b>again</b>.¡±


    Shrugging, she added, ¡°Grandma wants Shannon to move into Anmer Heights.¡±


    ¡°And did you turn down the suggestion?¡± He rested an arm against the car window and leaned against the door.


    She nonchntly replied, ¡°No, I agreed.¡±


    Hearing this, his expression crumpled.


    Shezily rested her head on her hand. ¡°It¡¯s boring at Anmer Heights<b>. </b>I think it¡¯ll be more fun to have her around.¡±


    He looked less upset after hearing her remark. He restarted the engine before suggesting. She can take the maid¡¯s bedroom on the first floor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡±


    1/1


    There was a recement lesson at school the next day¨Ca SaturdayN?velDrama.Org content.


    Right as Lily entered the school, the campos guard called out to her, ¡°Lily Brooks, there¡¯s <b>a </b>package for you.¡±


    She paused in her tracks. ¡°Do you know me<b>?</b>


    The guard chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re famous in the school. How could I not know you?¡± He had been working at the school for three decades, and it was like his second home. He knew every single thing happening there


    He had nothing but admiration for Lily, who beat up the school bully, Jack Dalton<b>, </b>right after she transferred to Ember Creek. That made her a legend.


    She lifted a brow in amusement, thinking, ¡°Is it time to keep a low profile¡±


    After retrieving her package, she went to the ssroom, where she was immediately swarmed <b>by </b>her ssmates.


    A teen with a buzz cut went up to her with a humble smile. ¡°Lily, this is the money we chipped in for you. We heard you made a bet with Shelby Martinez, and we don¡¯t want you to lose to her. Use the money to buy the concert tickets and tell her that you bought the tickets yourself¡±


    She cast a surprised look at her ssmates, who seemed to genuinely care for her, except for Heather and Alexis in the back row.


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need the money.<b>¡± </b>She ced the package on Anya¡¯s table. ¡°Open this and give out the tickets.


    Anya had wanted to persuade Lily to ept the money, but she gave up because Lily seemed quite unbothered by their kind gesture. She opened the package, and her jaw fell upon seeing the contents. Teeth chattering, she stammered, ¡°T¨CThese are¡­¡±


    Ian approached her, asking, ¡°Anya, why do you look like.


    She looked like she saw a ghost However, he didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence because he too gaped silently at the contents of the package. It took him a while toe around. He squealed, ¡°Lily, you¡¯re the GOAT<b>!</b>¡±


    Lily rubbed her temples, secretly cursing at fan for his high¨Cpitched scream.


    Garcia¡¯s </b>concert tickets. Everyone will get one.¡±


    ¡°Damn! Did I see it wrongly? Are these tickets to Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! Lily is awe


    awesome. How did she get her <b>hands </b>on 50 tickets overnight? Wouldn¡¯t it typically take at least two days for them to arrive by <b>mail</b>? How <b>did </b>she pull this off?¡±


    ¡°have no words. You¡¯re amazing. Lily. I¡¯m speechless!¡±


    ¡°Me too! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s ever going to challenge her to a bet again!¡±


    In a matter of five minutes, the tickets were distributed tan didn¡¯t offer the tickets to Heather and Alexis as they hadn¡¯t expressed interest.


    With Lily¡¯s blessing,n held onto the two extra tickets<b>, </b>and one of them was for Jack Jack was considered one of them ever since be aligned himself with Lily Naturally, Jan intended to share his gains with those within the same group. He reserved the other ticket for whoever might need it

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    The first lesson of the day was math, taught by John Everton. ssi 18 was usually well¨Cbehaved during John¡¯s lessons.


    John returned the papers be had marked to the students. He rubbed his temples with a troubled expression at Lily¡¯s paper before calling out her name, ¡°Lily <b>Brooks</b>.¡±


    She went to the podium to retrieve her paper. He patted her on the shoulder and offered some <b>concerned </b>advice. ¡°Math <b>isn¡¯t </b>that tough. You can master it if you put in the effort Do you want me to offer <b>you </b>some extra tuition?¡±


    He was in the dark about Lily¡¯s entrance exam scores. ording to Joseph, Lily did pass Ember Creek¡¯s her poor academic performancetely. In tact, she had scored zeroes for most of her papers.


    entrance exam. but teachers across different subjects had been discussing


    John refused to believe in their words until he marked her math paper. Lily clearly did not know how to solve even one of the math questions.


    He checked in with the teaching assistants, who informed him that Lily indeed had no idea how to solve the exam problems.


    He felt <b>a </b>headache creeping in. Was she absolutely clueless in all subjects? What would they do with her?


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Everton, but there¡¯s no need for extra tuition.¡± Ly shed an innocent smile at John, which momentarily caught him off guard.


    In the one month since her transfer, he had <b>never </b>seen her smile. Her sudden change in behavior spooked him out. Was she trying to <b>cover </b>up for some grave mistakes she hadmitted<b>?</b>


    He finally collected himself and started the lesson after Lily returned to her seat. Most of the students had a good understanding of the math concepts thanks to his detailed exnation. His patience bore fruits <b>as </b>ss 18 emerged as the top performer in math


    When Anya saw Lily shoving the math paper into the drawer, she turned around and addressed Lily sternly, ¡°Lily Brooks, study hard, or you¡¯ll be looked down on!¡±


    Lily felt entertained by her words. She flicked Anya on the forehead and remarked, ¡°Yeah You¡¯d better study hard.¡±


    Anya angrily pressed against her head after Lily flicked her. ¡°I was talking about you!¡±


    ¡°yeah. Study hard,¡± Lily drawled before going back to reading her ancient medical book


    Anya¡¯s cheeks bulged in anger, but she was powerless in the face of Lily¡¯s antics.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After the first lesson ended, tan stood up and tapped on his table. ¡°Hey, guys, please stop what you¡¯re doing for a minute. I have something to <b>say</b>.


    Everyone fell silent when he spoke because he was held <b>in </b>high regard by his ssmates. He pointed at Lily. ¡°Lily <b>is </b>a loyal friend to <b>us</b><b>, </b>am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the ssmates replied in unison, their loud replies <b>echoing </b>in the ssroom


    ¡°She made a bet with another student. Do you think she won the bet now that we all have tickets to Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert?¡± tan ced a foot on the table in a roguish move. ¡°Teah!¡±


    Nodding in satisfaction, he asked, ¡°If so, shall we make that other student fulfill her end of the bet?¡±


    ¡°Of course! We¡¯ll do it right now!¡±


    Jan hopped off the chair and went up to Lily. ¡°Lily, <b>do </b>you want to join us?¡±


    <b>Lily </b>finally looked up from the medical book she replied with a devilish grin, ¡°Sure.¡± She never liked gossip, but Shelby had to pay the price for agreeing to the bet The ss 18 students marched to the entrance of ss 1 to hunt down Shelby


    Act Fast: <b>Free </b>Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Ian opened the door to ss 1. He announced, ¡°Shelby Martinez, get out here now.¡±


    Shelby mmed her tist on the table and shot up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you,n Fletcher? Why would you barge into our ss with the ss 18 rascals?


    He smirked. ¡°Are you that forgetful? Did you forget about the bet with Lily?¡± He brandished the tickets and revealed, ¡°Lily has gotten us the tickets, which means you¡¯ve <b>lost</b>. Time to run the hundredps you agreed to.¡±


    Shelby was incensed upon hearing that. She went over to Tan and stood in front of him with a taunting look on her face. She ced her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Lily Brooks, I thought of you as a mannerless country bumpkin. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a liar too. Tell me, did you buy these tickets with your own money?


    ¡°Shelby Martinez, are you trying to walk back on your word?¡± Ian¡¯s expression tell as he red at Shelby.


    <b>¡°</b>Walking back on my word? I don¡¯t have to do that.¡± She took the ticket from his grasp.


    ¡°Your ssmates chipped in to buy the concert tickets so that she could win the bet. You guys are really something. One of you started the lie, and everyone helped her out. How dare you demand that I fulfill the bet? You¡¯re delusionall¡±


    Lily¡¯s ssmates grew angry. Someone retorted, ¡°What nonsense is that? Lily bought these tickets out of her pocket.¡±


    Another snickered. ¡°Just admit that you¡¯re chickening out of the bet. Why the fuck would <b>you </b>make up such a stupid excuse? You¡¯re disgusting!¡±


    ¡°You always boast that ss I students <b>are </b>vituous when, in fact, you¡¯re just a coward!¡±


    Shelby stared at them coldly ¡°How could you be to me, saying that you didn¡¯t chip in for the concert tickets?¡®


    ¡°We did, and we banded the money to her this morning, but she refused to take it. <b>She </b>had already bought the tickets by then.¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to take your word for it? She red at the ss 18 students. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d believe in this style?¡±


    Damn it!


    The ss 18 students helplessly red at Shelby. Only Lily folded her armis on her chest and shot Shelbyasmirk. ¡°It¡¯s fine I¡¯ll make you pay¡±


    With that, Lily made <b>a </b>call. ¡°Get another <b>50 </b>tickets to Ember Creek High School¡±


    Shelby stared at Lily in disbelief. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen a bragger like you. Lily Brooks, just admit that you lost Why do you have to bite off more than you can chew? You¡¯re only going to bumiliate yourself when you fail to get the tickets delivered.¡±


    Lily shot her a look before tuming ton, ¡°What¡¯s the next lesson?¡±!


    Ian replied, ¡°A self¨Cstudy session!¡± He anticipated her next question and answered, ¡°Same goes for ssi


    Lily <b>nodded</b>. ¡°Let¡¯s wait another 15 minutes, then.¡±


    Under her orders, ss 15 quietly waited at the entrance to ss 1.


    Soon, the <b>15 </b>minutes were up. Lily received an iing call. She answered, ¡°Have the guard deliver the tickets to me.¡±


    After hanging up, she askedn, ¡°Do you have the money ready?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    Soon, the campus guard showed up with a shopping bag, unlike the box Lily had received earlier that day. He handed the bag to Lily<b>, </b><b>and </bn paid him.


    The guard thanked them and immediately escaped from the scene. From his years of experience, se sensed trouble brewing among the students.


    Lily grabbed a ticket from the bag and handed the rest to tan. She requested that he distribute the extra tickets to their ssmates. Then, she turned to Shelby, ¡°Do you want to check the authenticity of the ticket?


    Shelby was dumbfounded the moment Lily received <b>the </b>tickets. She gasped, ¡°How did you do that? It¡¯s impossible! impossible!¡±


    Lily chuckled. ¡°So, will you fulfill the bet? The look in her eyes hardened. She added, ¡°If you refuse, we¡¯ll change the bet to something else. Think it through.¡±


    Chapter 87

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Shelby copsed in fear onto the ground when she recalled how Lily had fractured Jack¡¯s leg. She shook her head in a panic. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t lose. These tickets must be counterfeit You must¡¯ve pulled some tricks.¡±


    Shelby refused to believe that Lily, a poor and powerless country bumpkin, would have the money for Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert tickets. Besides<b>, </b><b>Loid </b>couldn¡¯t have possibly offered her tens of thousands to splurge on tickets. Therefore, she concluded that Lily was <b>a </b>fraud.


    Lily took a step forward, Staring down at Shelby, she announced, ¡°If you refuse to fulfill the bet, we can switch things ep.¡±


    ring at her emotionlessly, Lily remarked, ¡°Since you have a filthy mouth, let¡¯s sew it shut. Ian Fletcher, dare you do it?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± fan seemed more confidentever since he aligned himself with Lily. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to grab some needles and thread. Let¡¯s sew her mouth shut.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He¡¯d never spare anyone who tried to walk back on their promises to Lily


    Jumping in shock, Shelby scrambled up from the floor and dashed into the ssroom. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that to me. I¡¯m a Martinez. What can you do to me!


    ¡°Shannon! Shannon! Help me-


    Shelby started stuttering from fear as she ran to Shannon for cover. Shannon, who had been a spectator up until now, had no choice but to speak up <b>for </b>Shelby. She secretly cussed Shelby out for being a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing.


    Then, she approached Lily with <b>a </b>smile. ¡°Lily, forgive Shelby We¡¯re family, aren¡¯t we? She¡¯s just fooling around with your ssmates.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just fooling around¡± Lily retorted th


    ¡°L.. I was fooling around. It was a joke.¡± Shelby poked her head out from behind Shannon and argued in a shaking voice.


    Smiling, Shannon exined, ¡°Shelby has always been <b>quite </b>temperamental. She might be stubborn and sharp¨Ctongued, but she means no harm. Lily, please don¡¯t take it to heart.


    Shannon¡¯s smile was as bright as the sun, charming the guys at school. Some of her <b>male </b>ssmates instantly defended her, ¡°Lily Brooks, we don¡¯t care if you like to fight, but you shouldn¡¯t bully the wrak.


    ¡°ss I might be academically gifted and less aggressive than ss <b>18</b>, but we¡¯re no doormats. If youy a tinger on Shannon, we¡¯ll report you to the teachers and get you kicked out of Ember Creek¡±


    Their words infuriated the <b>ss </b>18 students. They argued, ¡°Nonsense! Shelby Martinez started it by humiliating Anya and Emma. She even tried toe between Lily and the girls. How could she be the bully <b>and </b>y the victim at the same time? Do you take ss 18 as an easy target?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Looks like these ¡®academically gifted¡® bunch haven¡¯t lost their minds from studying. They¡¯re pretty good at distorting the truth.¡±


    The ss 18 students were united in the face of ss 1 Moreover, they considered Lily their leader after she had generously offered them the concert tickets. Naturally, never allow their leader to be bulled.


    Shannon stared at the ssmates around her and sped ber hands tightly, digging her nails into her palms in hatred


    She had been the beauty queen of Ember Creek for three years<b>, </b>always in the limelight until Lily transferred to the school. Not only <b>did </b>she lose her crown, but many students had also pledged their allegiance to Lily.


    Some <b>of </b>Shannon¡¯s ssmates defended her, but not all. In contrast, nearly all of the ss 18 students spoke out for her, save for Heather and Alexis. Shannon failed to understand what Lily had over her.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Loid, who was fond of Lily, not only helped her to enroll in Ember Creek but also showered her with money. Mnie<b>, </b><b>too</b>, seemed to like Lily a lot despite her ws. Mnie seemed to have set her mind that Lily was her future daughter¨Cinw


    Now, even the ss 15 students were fond of Lily. Shannon was driven crazy as she slowly lost all her possessions to <b>Lily</b>. She wouldn¡¯t tolerate that.


    Hence, she bit the bullet and held Lily¡¯s hand. Smiling, she remarked, ¡°Lily, we¡¯re family. Our family will be upset if they learn that we got into trouble at school. You¡¯ve just gotten engaged to Loid, right?


    ¡°He¡¯ll be unhappy to learn about this conflict too. Ladmit that Shelby is in the wrong here. I¡¯ll make her apologize to you. How does that sound?<b>¡±</b>


    Lily shook off Shannon¡¯s hand with hostility. She questioned, ¡°And how would you know what¡¯s going on in Loid¡¯s head?¡±


    Then, she added with a sarcastic smile, ¡°Oh, right. He used to be your fiance, but I took him from you.¡±


    ¡°Lily, that¡¯s not what I meant I never said anything of <b>that </b>sort,¡± Shannon argued.


    Despite her resentment, she had to take a <b>kind </b>persona


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter¡± Lily spun around and stated into Shannon¡¯s eyes. Putting her hands in her pockets, she towered over <b>Shannon </b>like a queen


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen the true colors of the Martinez family. using me of stealing your fance? That¡¯s nothing. I should count my blessings for not being used of murder by your family¡±


    The look in Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened. Suddenly, tears started falling down her cheeks. She wept pitifully ¡°You harbor some serious misunderstandings toward our family¡± ¡°What misunderstandings? chuckling, Lily revealed, ¡°Your family came to beg my grandma in the hospital to send you to live with the Lauriers. Was that a misunderstanding too?


    Are you going to say that you have feelings for Loid, but I pulled some tricks and stole him from you?¡±


    Shannon gritted her teeth, feeling humiliated for being called out <b>in </b><b>public</b>.


    Meanwhile, Lily fixed her unfeeling gaze on Shannon. ¡°Do you need me to remind you that it was your mom who came to the countryside and begged me to marry Loid Laurier? ¡°My biological mother, who abandoned me after birth, made me marry told in your ce so that you wouldn¡¯t have to marry a dying man. That happened fairly recently. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    Shannon lifted her head and glowered at Lily. She thought, ¡°Why does she have to air our dutyundry in front of our ssmates? Is she trying to win their sympathy?¡±


    Lily continued, ¡°Tm used to living an easy life. It¡¯s uncharacteristic of me to fight for anything. I¡¯m only wasting my time on you today because I need you to pass a message to your family¨C1, Lily Brooks, am in no way rted to the Martinez family. I will bankrupt whoever tries to visit my grandma in the hospital ¡±


    Then, her eyes glimmered with a threatening <b>look</b>. ¡°Don¡¯t take my words lightly. I never joke around people I¡¯m not close with. My grandma <b>did </b>suggest that you move to the Lauriers¡® ce, though. If you want to move in with us, go ahead.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Shannon¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. Julia¡¯s idea seemed pretty effective. She advised Shannon to speak to Belinda<b>, </b>a surefire way of making Shannon move into Anmer Heights.


    Awesome! Shannon was d to have the chance to meet Loid again. This time, she wouldn¡¯t let the opportunity slide.


    At the same time, <b>the </b>ssmates around them listened on with surprised looks. They learned from the forum post that Lily had ¡°stolen¡± Shannon¡¯s nce. Little did they know that there was a juicy, absurd story behind the <b>rivalry</b>.


    aughter¡¯s ce?


    How shocking was it for a mother to dump her eldest daughter and then reach out to the poor girl again just for her to marry a man in the second daughter¡¯s


    Ian and Anya, who were in the know, offered noment. However, they were puzzled by Lily¡¯s chattiness on that day. The Lily they knew was typically a reserved and cool girl ¡°But Lily, I know you still care for us. If so, why don¡¯t you forgive Shelby for my sake?¡± Shannon smiled at Lily.


    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 89

    Chapterso


    Lily arched her brow. She then swiftly dashed to Shannon and dragged Shelby out. Holding Shrby by the cor, she turned to snap at Shannon, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll do anything for your sake?


    Shannon¡¯s expression soured, but she did not retort because she sensed that her ssmates were judging <b>her </b>in a different light.


    Lily ignored Shannon and shifted her focus to Shrby. ¡°No one has dared to go back on their word in my life, but you have, and I¡¯ll <b>make </b>you pay the price. That¡¯s how I y.¡±


    ¡°W¨CWhat are you going to do?¡± Shelby struggled to break free, but her attempts were futile because Lily held onto her with great strength.


    Lily lifted a finger and pinched Shelby on the arm. They heard a crack of the bone, followed by Shelby¡¯s agonizing scream.


    Next, Lily tossed Shelby onto the ground. She stared at her victim emotionlessly, ¡°You have Jason Martinez to thank.¡°¡±


    With that, Lily left. She merely broke Shelby¡¯s arm without crippling it permanently, and she spared Shelby from that fate for Jason¡¯s sake.


    The ss 18 students left with Lily in high spirits. They felt satisfied for sessfully defending their <b>honor</b>. After they were looked down on for their poor academic performance and losing fights to ss 17 due to Jack¡¯s threatening presence, they relished this sweet victory against ss 1.


    Joseph arrived at school early in the morning. His first agenda was to summon Corvina Frias, Head of Student Affairs, to look into the school forum post mentioned by Loid. Corvina was well¨Cinformed about everything that happened on campus. She logged in to the school forum and immediately got an idea of the situation.


    She confessed, ¡°Ah, these are just some rumors created by the students. I saw the post a while ago, but I didn¡¯t take any action because the post mentioned the Martinez family,¡± ¡°The Martinezes?¡± Frowning, Joseph ordered, ¡°Show me that post.¡±


    Corvina handed her phone to Joseph. His face tell after reading the post. Before this, he <b>had </b>heard of the arranged marriage between the Lauriers and the Martinezes without knowing the particrs.


    His interest was piqued when Corvina mentioned the Martinezes. After reading the post, he put on a troubled look. ¡°How did Lily get involved in this drama?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about it? There were rumors of Loid Laurier of Bridgeport¡¯s engagement to a Martinez, but it somehow ended with him getting engaged to Lily Brooks.¡± Corvina stole another look at Joseph before adding, ¡°Later, someone imed that it was Lily who stole Shannon Martinez¡¯s fianc¨¦ There are multiple versions of the story, didn¡¯t look into it.¡±


    butl


    Joseph nearlyughed at the absurdity of the motion. He thought, ¡°Lily Brooks stealing Shannon Martinez¡¯s nce? Are you serious? Lily will never do anything like that. She never covets anything <b>that </b>isn¡¯t hers.¡±


    He sighed heavily before issuing a firm directive to Corvina, ¡°Please remove this post immediately and issue a warning to the responsible student. Then, make a public announcement stating that any students found spreading falsehoods on the school forum will face expulsion¡±


    Stunned, Corvina gasped. ¡°Mr. Woodley, you never used to care for these matters. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Just do <b>as </b>I said!¡± Joseph rubbed his temples. ¡°If we don¡¯t take action, Ember Creek High School will risk being taken apart.¡±


    Trembling in fear, Corvina hurried out to execute the task.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    After Corvina left, Joseph tapped into the forum post on his phone. At that moment, he finally understood the reason Loid wanted to meet with him and the exnation for Loid¡¯s sudden recovery after his engagement


    To Joseph, only a remarkable woman like Lily was worthy of Loid.


    The third lesson of the day was John¡¯s math lesson. After ss, <b>he </b>shut the textbook and announced solemnly, ¡°I have an announcement. There won¡¯t be any breaks this weekend. You have a test on Sunday and Monday.¡±


    His announcement was met with <b>a </b>collective groan


    A studentined, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the end of my world.¡±


    ¡°One biweekly test and a monthly test.. This is driving me crazy.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Thank goodness there isn¡¯t a test next weekend or I¡¯d <b>cry</b>. Lucas Garcia¡¯s concert is happening next weekend.¡±


    Noting the pain he had inflicted on his students, Johforted them, ¡°Hey, take it easy. You still have time before the SATS. If you give your best, you¡¯ll surely get into <b>your </b>dream college. These regr tests will be of help to you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Everton, do we look Hoe we can make it to college? A male student skimped onto a desk at the back of the ssroom, looking lethargic.


    ¡°Gosh. They say no pain, no <b>gain</b>. I¡¯m feeling the pain now!


    John beamed at the bunch of kids in his ss. Most teachers avoided the academically underperforming sses like the gue, but he was the exception.


    He always thought that the students who performed poorly were the ones who shined in character. Over the years<b>, </b>he had educated many students¨Csome of them rare talents and a lot of them poor performers.


    However, only the underperforming students regrly visited him at school, even atter they started working. He believed that theseds would have a bright future if they were led onto the right path.


    After John left the ssroom, the students heard Corvina¡¯s voice on the speakers


    ¡°Announcement! Recently, there have been students who disseminated lies on the school forum. Hence, the administration has decided to penalize the poster¨CShelby Martinez. ¡°Ms. Martinez shall receive a warning. We hope this serves as a lesson for the others not to post malicious content as you might face expulsion.¡±


    The ss 18 students erupted with excitement. tan rushed over to Lily with <b>a </b>wide grin. ¡°Lily, God <b>has </b>answered our prayers! The school admin never polices the forum, but they took action against the malicious poster for your <b>sake</b>! You¡¯re damm lucky,¡±


    Lily nced at the annoyingn and put on her headphones.


    At the same time, <b>Anya </b>argued, ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s lucky? Shelby was in the wrong for ndering Lily. She shouldn¡¯t have done that!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you call the Princess Syndrome. You have not spent a day in a wealthy family. That¡¯s why you won¡¯t get it,¡± Ian teased.


    ¡°Do all rich kids behave in this way? Puzzled, Anya questioned, ¡°We¡¯re still students. Shouldn¡¯t we just focus on studies?¡±


    Ian chortled, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re too naive. Soon, you¡¯ll understand that these trust fund kids don¡¯t need to study hard because they have a shitload of inheritance waiting for them. All they need to do is to buy a high school diploma and muddle their way through college before Ining off their generational wealth.¡±


    ¡°But the wealth will be depleted one day


    Jan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. All I know is that I¡¯ll be one of them! I don¡¯t have <b>a </b>choice but to live off my family because I¡¯m so bad at studies!¡±


    At that moment, Heather suddenly went up to tan from the back of the ssroom. She nced at Anya before beaming atn. ¡°tan, let¡¯s have lunch after school. We haven¡¯t had Junch together in a while.¡±


    Heather¡¯s mood tanked, but she remained smaling. ¡°Oh, I thought we always had hunch together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! I said <b>I </b><b>don¡¯t </b>want to have lunch with you!¡± Ian was upset when Lily ignored him. He directed his anger at Heather instead before storming back to his seat. Achilling gleam <b>shed </b>across Heather¡¯s eyes as she watched him walk off.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    In <b>the </b>afternoon, <b>Loid¡¯s </b>car had been waiting at the entrance to Ember Creek High School.


    Shannon learned that Loid would fetch Lily after school daily. Therefore, she was the first to leave her ssroom that <b>day </b>even though she had always been thest one to go.


    As expected, Loid¡¯s car was waiting at the entrance. Feeling delighted, Shannon clutched the straps of her backpack and nervously walked over to his car, ¡°Loid, Lily wants me to head back to Anmer Heights with you because she¡¯s having trouble adjusting to life there.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Shaun rolled down the window of the front passenger seat. He taunted her, ¡°Ms. Martinez, you¡¯re quite persistent, aren¡¯t you?¡°¡±


    She visibly looked deted Biting her lip, she put on a pitiful expression.


    Loid nced at her. After that, he noticed Lily slowly walking out of campus. He opened the car door and approached Lily, leaving behind Shannon.


    He took Lily¡¯s bag for her and held her hand. Lily allowed him to guide her. They looked picture¨Cperfect, but the sight stirred up the resentment in Shannon.


    Once Lold and Lily boarded the car, Shannon tried to keep her emotions in check and followed suit. However, Loid suddenly addressed her in an ky tone, ¡°Ms. Martinez, we have no more space for you. Why don¡¯t you take your family¡¯s <b>car</b>?


    ¡°But there¡¯s one mace seat in the car¡­¡± Holding back her tears, she feebly pointed at the empty seat,


    ¡°The seats at the back are for me and Lily. It¡¯s inappropriate <b>for </b><b>you </b>to join us in the back. We need more time with each other since we¡¯re newly engager


    ¡°1..¡± Shannon stared at her feet and tried to hold back her tears. Soon, she looked up and shed him a demure smile. ¡°<b>Ah</b>, that wasn¡¯t too thoughtful of me. You and Lily should head home before me.¡±


    Loid grunted<b>, </b>and Daniel immediately started the engine.


    When their car sped away, Shannon angrily tossed her bag onto the floor. She had clearly seen Shaun sitting at the back of Loid¡¯s car! Loid had simply made up an excuse to stop her from taking his <b>car</b>.


    The Martinezes¡® driver arrived to pick Shannon up. She calmed down, picked up her bag, <b>and </b>tossed it into the car. Her eyes gleamed with malice


    She silently reassured herself, ¡°Take your time. As long as you get to move into Anmer Heights, you¡¯ll one day win Loid¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s <b>go</b>.¡± She buckled the seatbelt and coldly addressed the driver.


    Loid and Lily did not head right back to Anmer Heights. Instead, they had lunch at a hotel downtown


    It was a simple lunch that was supposed to be done in ten minutes, yet they spent nearly two hours at the hotel before heading home.


    They arrived home when it was close to 10:00 pm. They found Shannon weeping silently on the steps of the gate when their car entered the grounds.


    ¡°Ms. Martinez, why are you here? Didn¡¯t ask you to bead into the house?¡±


    Shannon couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. ¡°The security refused to let me in. I don¡¯t have your number, Loid, so <b>I </b>called Lily, but she didn¡¯t pick up.¡±


    Loid looked as if he hade to a realization. He gave her an apologetic look. ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b><b>sorry</b>, <b>I </b>forgot to inform the security about your arrival¡± Then, he turned to Lily and asked in an usatory tone<b>, </b>¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up her calls?¡±


    Leaning ber head on her palm, Lily shot him an amused look ¡°oh, I forgot that I set my phone to silent mode during my ss.¡±


    Loid¡¯s


    ¡®<b>s </b>expression darkened, and hsaid sternly, ¡°Be more mindful. She¡¯s your sister, after all. I feel bad as her host for keeping her waiting¡±


    ¡°<b>Sure</b>.<b>¡°</b>The grin on Lily¡¯s lips deepened. She seemed amused at Lold¡¯s excellent acting


    Meanwhile, Shannon felt much better after Loid confronted Lily. She wiped away her tears and <b>whispered</b>, ¡°Loid, please <b>don¡¯t </b>be angry at Lily. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t do it on purpose.


    ¡°Of course, I know that she couldn¡¯t have deliberately missed your calls because you¡¯re her sister. What say you, Ms. Martinez?¡± Loid held Lily¡¯s hand and smiled at Shannon. Shannon froze. ¡°Trah. Of course.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make a move now. Ms. Martinez, follow us.¡± Then, Load started the engine of his car before Shannon had the time to react. ¡°Loid,..¡± She angrily stomped her fert.


    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Shannon had specifically requested for her family¡¯s


    ly¡¯s driver to leave her alone to heighten her plight. How was she supposed to carry her six suitcases by herself after Loid had left her behind<b>?</b>


    She cast a look at the security guard at the entrance. Smiling, she asked, ¡°Sir, can you help me with my luggage? I can¡¯t carry every one of them.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    The guard shot her a look before replying tly, ¡°Sorry, but we aren¡¯t supposed to neglect our duties.¡±


    ¡°You-¡°Angered and helpless, she had no choice but <b>to </b>haul each one of her luggage into the house.


    By the time she was done carrying her luggage into her house, Lily was done giving Lold a medicated bath and performing acupuncture on him. As she had given Daniel instructions to prepare the ingredients for the medicated bath, she didn¡¯t have to monitor the process herself.


    The most important part of the detoxification process was the dally acupuncture. Lily performed the acupuncture after the medicated bath for better effect.


    Loid got used to acupuncture after his first experience with it, which made things easter for Lily. It only took her half an hour to get everything done while Shannon was still struggling with her luggage.


    Lily went to sleep early to get ready for her test on Sunday<b>. </b>She did not bother to check in on <b>Shannon </b>at all


    The next morning, Loid and Shannon were up when Lily woke up. In fact, Shannon had been awake since 6:00 am to make breakfast.


    Once Lily and Loid were downstairs, Shannon hurried over to them ¡°<b>Loid</b>, Lily, 1 made <b>breakfast</b><b>. </b>Come have some food.¡±


    Loid nced at the food on the table and replied tly ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but <b>I </b>have my personal chef Ms. Martinez, please only make breakfast for yourself from today onward. Mychef only cooks for two.¡±


    Shannon was taken aback at his stinging rejection. She bit her lip as rears brimmed in her eyes. ¡°But I already made breakfast.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t finish the food by yourself, you can keep it for dinner.¡± Loid ignored her after that.


    Loid¡¯s personal chef tang the doorbell and entered the house. He brought with him a tray of simple breakfast that consisted of bread and milk, along with some other sides. Considering Loid¡¯s distaste for food wastage and Lily¡¯s <b>tiny </b>appetite, they always went for a simple breakfast. Eating fast, they finished their breakfast in ten minutes. Then, Loid grabbed Lily¡¯s bag and made his way out of the house. Before leaving, he looked at Shannon. ¡°Ms. Martinez, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡±


    <b>She </b>couldn¡¯t help but quiver under his intense and hostile stare. She hung her head and whispered, ¡°But.. Ihaven¡¯t had my breakfast¡­¡±


    His eyes steeled<b>. </b>¡°What were you doing when we were having breakfast? You know Anmer Heights is far away from Ember Creek, and Lily has a test today. Do you want her to bete?!


    ¡°N¨CNo.1 didn¡¯t mean that. She immediately panicked.


    He scowled. ¡°So, are you leaving with <b>us </b><b>or </b>not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Without thinking, Shannon grabbed her bag <b>and </b>followed them out.


    Loid and Lily made their way into the car. Shannon was about to hop on when Loid asked her icily, ¡°Are you sure you want to join us?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shannon neared a meltdown, but she knew she shouldn¡¯t cry in front of them.


    She stepped back and forced a smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ve overstepped¡± Only Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e had the right to take his car.


    Shannon couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing down when Loid¡¯s car left. She clutched her fists spitefully. She refused to ept her fate!

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    On Sunday, the 12th graders took their routine test, which followed the procedure <b>of </b>a proper SAT exame


    want Each ss was


    s assigned two proctors.


    The students in ss 18 appeared to be in low spirits as the exam felt like a public getion to them. The parent¨Cteacher conference would be held after the results were out, which meant another round of punishment at home. Therefore, they hated the tests with a burning passion.


    The math testmenced in the morning. After the proctor distributed the tests, Anya hurriedly worked through the questions. Unlike before, Lily did not sleep through the test. Instead, shezily filled out the bubble sheet


    She switched between her left and right <b>hand</b>, answering the questions with messy handwriting Shepleted the multiple¨Cchoice and fill¨Cin¨Cthe¨Cnk questions


    Within 20 minutes, Lily submitted her papers, to her ssmates¡± disbelief. A few students in the back exchanged nces and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Has she reallypleted the test when I¡¯m still struggling to solve many of the problems?¡±


    *Her papers were filled with answers. I think so?Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I thought she was bad at studies? How did she manage to answer all the questions?¡±


    Lily left the ssroom amidst the astonished looks of her ssmates. Since she didn¡¯t want to disturb the students, she went to the school field where she started ying a popr mobile game to pass the time.


    Right after she logged on, <b>a </b>yer named ¡°Rizz King¡± immediately invited her to form a team. She epted the invitation and entered the room in the game, where only one other yer was there.


    Once she joined the room, Rizz King immediately started the game. City of Glory was a game where <b>five </b>yers were required to form a team. In Lily¡¯s case, she and Rizz King chose to form a team with three randomly assigned yers.


    After everyone in the team selected their own characters, they proceeded to the game. Rizz King sent an audio message to Lily, ¡°I thought you were in school. How do you have time for the game?¡±


    She recognized Duncan from his voice. He was bored out of his mind having just wrapped up a research, and he decided to pass his time by ying mobile games. ¡°There¡¯s a test today,¡± Lily replied tly.


    The five yers arrived at a mysterious region and <b>ran </b>into five opposing yers. Lily swiftly used her techniques to achieve her first kill within five seconds. Duncan sighed. ¡°You sure are different from the others, ying mobile games on a test day<b>!</b>¡±


    Knowing Lily hatedplicated rules, exam¨Ctaking was torture for her. However, he was surprised to see that she still went about in her usual brazen ways even after transferring to Ember Creek.


    Lily ignored him. A boss character appeared in the game. Seeing that, <b>she </b>pressed her control buttons and soared into the sky to battle the boss with various techniques. The yers from all teams joined forces to defeat the boss.


    The point of the City of Glory wasn¡¯t about one¡¯s body count but the ability of a yer to defeat the boss. The boss in the game was tough to defeat. Worse, the yers were only allowed a time limit of three minutes to take him down or he would disappear from in sight


    However<b>, </b>a yer who defeated the boss would receive <b>a </b>special weapon left behind by the boss. Due to that game design, some professional yers would focus daily on defeating the boss.


    This time around, Lily and her team ran into <b>a </b>high¨Clevel boss. After two minutes of battling, she grew impatient and switched to another weapon.


    All yers from Lily¡¯s team and the opposing team paused in surprise. Then, a barrage of frantic messages filled her screen.


    Someone wrote, ¡°What? Is that a Blood Sword? How did I get to join a team with someone who owns a Blood Sword through random assignment?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy right now. I heard the game founder equipped the boss with Blood Swords at random. Until today, less than ten Blood Swords have been won from the boss. Even Team TB only owns five of them!¡±


    ¡°What a legend. No wonder she made an instant kill at the start of the game.¡±


    Lily ignored the flurry of texts as she swiftly moved the controls. Her character finally destroyed the boss with a <b>wave </b>of the sword.


    After the boss died, he left a weapon for the winning yer. Lily¡¯s character picked up the weapon, visibly stunned. Then, she growled, ¡°Fuck!¡±


    It <b>was </b><b>a </b>Folding War Fan. She <b>couldn¡¯t </b>believe her luck. She won the fan weapon simply by defeating a random boss.


    Seeing that, the yers engaged in excited conversations again.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Did I see it wrong?


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. That¡¯s the Folding <b>War </b>Fan¨Cthe only one in the entire server.


    ¡°What kind of luck is that?¡±


    Half a <b>year </b>ago, the game announced that they would debut a new weapon, the Folding War Fan. There were only three of them avable. No one, not even the professional Team FR, bad won the fan


    The yers were shocked to see Lily winning the tan with ease.


    Duncan chuckled at the messages. He said to Lily, ¡°Lily, you¡¯re famous again.¡±


    ¡°Get lost<b>,</b>¡± she replied as her character stored the fan in the bag.


    She checked the time and realized that the math rest was almost over. Rising from the ground, she casually remarked, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Then, she exited the game, stuffed her phone into her pocket, and headed to the cafeteria.


    tan and the others searched high and low for Lily. They spotted her right after they arrived at the cafeterian hurried over and <b>took </b><b>a </b>seat beside her. ¡°Lily, did you answer all the math questions?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And did you get all of them right?¡± be pressed on.


    She shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth and offered <b>a </b>muffled reply, ¡°I think I only got one question right.¡±


    ¡°<b>What</b>?¡± Tan thought hemisheard


    She swallowed her food and cast him an amused look That gives me 20 points. I¡¯m still two points ahead of you. You¡¯lle inst in the test.¡±


    She answered the other questions incorrectly <b>save </b>for that one question she actually spent her time on. That particr question was worth 20 points.


    tan had only scored <b>18 </b>points in the previous math test. Given his aptitude, he probably would not score beyond 20 points in this test,


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± He cast a dejected look at Lily ¡°Have you started cheating in tests just to make sure Ie inst?¡±


    He refused to believe that Lily had solved a question that carried <b>a </b>lot of weight in the test. Having confirmed the difficulty of that question, he was sure that no one in ss 18 could solve it


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Smiling, she did not bother to engage with him anymore,


    <b>Jan </b>yed with has food with a troubled expression. ¡°What do I do when even the math test is giving me a mental breakdown? The subjects thate after this are giving me a headache. How do I even start solving the questions¡±


    Anya tilted her head with a puzzled <b>look</b>. ¡°The next subject isnguages, though. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll at least know a thing or two about Galian, right?¡±


    1an sighed<b>, </b>looking disheartened. ¡°Math and Language are the only two subjects where I can score some points. My parents will give me a good whopping when t grades.¡±


    Anya chuckled. ¡°Are you still scared of your parents?¡±


    He red at her. ¡°Of course! They control the purse strings. If I mess up my tests, they¡¯ll cut my monthly allowance in half. I can¡¯t survive on that.¡±


    Lily tapped him on the head. ¡°You good¨Cfor¨Cnothing!¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    they ser my


    ¡°Lily, <b>it¡¯s </b>easier said than done. You have no financial worries because you¡¯re engaged. But things are different for me! I have nothing to look forward to but my monthly allowances.¡±


    fan slumped on the desk Lily looked over at <b>him </b>and remarked, ¡°Well, study hard, then.¡±


    Next, she pointed at Anya. ¡°That¡¯s <b>what </b>Anya said to mel


    Anya nodded sternly: ¡°Yeah, <b>I </b>said that.¡±


    ¡°You guys..¡± He bowled ¡°Argh! I¡¯m ignoring both of you!!

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    The students sat through a <b>couple </b>more tests in the following two <b>days</b>. Each time, Lily turned in her paper within 20 minutes. The teachers sighed helplessly when they saw her papers. They all thought, ¡°This kid is a lost cause!¡±


    After the tests, the teachers went to work. The results were out the next Tuesday.


    The first lesson on Tuesday was John¡¯s math ss. He entered the ssroom with the macked test papers and a list of ss grades.


    He ced the papers on the table and picked up the list. with a smile, he announced, ¡°t see <b>an </b>improvement in your scores overall. Anya Mosley <b>has </be in first. She scored 733 in <b>math</b><b>. </b>Her total score across the subjects is 1350, which ces her at the 200th ce in 12th <b>grade</b>.¡±


    Despite that, Anya collected her test papers with a crestfallen look, which attracted Lily¡¯s attention Lily asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    *At 1431, I came in 200th in the entire 12th grade. I guess I


    I¡¯Enever get into the Unversity of Bridgeport.¡± Anya seemed really moody. She had been pouring in efforts to get into the University of Bridgeport, but given her test scores, that goal seemed unattainable now¡­


    ¡°Do you want to attend the University of Bridgeport Lily questioned with curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s one of the best universities in the country. If I graduate from there, I¡¯ll get a better job¡­¡± Anya slumped on her desk. ¡°Too bad I¡¯ll never make it to that university.¡±


    Lily watched on without a word. Meanwhile, the other students groaned when they learned about Anya¡¯s scores.


    Someone remarked, ¡°If Anya is at the top of our ss but ranks 200th in the 12th grade, what about the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. With my scores, I think I¡¯ll be ranked Booth or lower.¡±


    John tapped on his table to silence the students.


    After the students stopped talking, John patientlyforted them, ¡°Please don¡¯t be too upset about your s scores. You guys did well this time, and Lily Brooks is a shining example. ¡°She made many mistakes, but she got this <b>one </bplex question right. She¡¯s one of the five students in the 12th grade to get it right.¡±


    He added, ¡°You guys are smart, just practice more, and you¡¯ll find the test <b>easy</b>.¡± He then beamed at Lily, saying, ¡°Lily, can you walk us through this question that you got right? John¡¯s intention was to set up Lily <b>as </b><b>a </b>good example for her ssmates as well as encourage her to be more proactive in her studies. To his dismay, she rose from her seat and drawled, ¡°I cheated<b>.</b>¡±


    The ss 18 students were rendered speechless. They had nothing but respect for Lily, one of the first openly admit to the teacher about cheating on her test.


    John¡¯s lips twitched from shock. He awkwardly stroked his head before saying, ¡°Um¡­ Take a seat for now. I¡¯ll teach you how to solve the question.¡±


    At this point, he was clueless about how best to handle Lily. He also worried for her future.


    The lessons after were boring because all the <b>teachers </b>ever did was distribute the papers and walk the students through the questionsN?velDrama.Org content.


    Loid arrived to pick tilly up from school as usual.


    Shannon left her sste because of the test. Knowing that she wasn¡¯t allowed to take Loid¡¯s car home, she did not bother to leave the school with Lily.


    On that day, shaun and Daniel did <b>not </b>join Loid. Therefore, Lily took the front passenger seat


    Loid announced, ¡°Mom invited us to lunch at Laurier Vill


    Laurier <b>Vi </b>was the Laurier family¡¯s property in Lagersfield Loid¡¯s parents would stay at the vi every time they visited Lagersfield Laid bought Anmer Heights under his name, and he rarely visited Laurier Vi unless necessary.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lily replied tly.


    Since she appeared to be in a bad mood, Lold did not speak <b>much</b>. They sat in silence until they arrived at Laurier Vi.


    Mnie hurriedly went up to hold Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°Gosh, you guys are finally here. I¡¯m making lunch today, so please eat up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lily¡¯s mood lifted. She <b>finally </b>smiled at Mnie

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Every time Lily was with Mnie<b>, </b><b>she </b>felt rxed and at home.


    Mnie held Lily by the hand, saying, ¡°Come on in! She treated Lily like her own daughter<b>, </b>seemingly forgetting about her son.


    Loid was speechless and amused at the sight.


    Lily spotted a man in the living room. She greeted him politely, ¡°Hi, Stefan.¡±


    She recognized him from the files as Lold¡¯s father, Stefan.


    Stefan Laurier <b>nodded </b>warmly at her. ¡°Take a seat and rx. Make yourself at home.¡±


    She grunted and joined him <b>on </b>the couch while Mnie went to the kitchen to make hunch. Stefan ced the newspaper on the coffee table and shot Loid an astonished <b>look </b>He heard from Mnie that their future daughter¨Cinw was in charge of Loid¡¯s medical treatments, but he had some lingering concerns before seeing Loid in person.


    Now that he confirmed that Loid was doing well, he felt more reassured. He turned to Lily, asking, ¡°I heard you go to Ember Creek How is it so far? Is it stressful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she replied curtly with a humble and calm attitude.


    Stefan nodded in satisfaction and poured her a ss of water. ¡°I heard from Mnie that you¡¯re treating Loid¡¯s illness. Sorry for the trouble. Juste to me if you need any help.¡± ¡°No trouble at all. He paid me,¡± Lily answered, looking up at Stefan.


    He smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll thank you on Loid¡¯s behal


    He finally understood the reason Mnie praised Lily to the heavens. The girl was indeed a unique personality.


    ¡°Lunch is ready,¡± Mnie announced.


    Lold led Lily to the dining table. Mnie, afterying out the final dish, settled beside Lily. She cut a slice of steak and ced it on Lily¡¯s te. ¡°Give it a taste.¡± Then, she stared at Lily nervously


    Lily book a bite of the steak andmented, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    <b>Looking </b><b>visibly </b>relieved, Mnie piled more food onto Lily¡¯s te. She urged, ¡°Join us for lunch the next time. You¡¯re too thin, and you need more protein. I¡¯ll keep you well¨Cfed.¡± Lily had nothing to say to that. Mnie only had eyes on <b>Lily</b>, smiling all the time and ignoring the presence of her husband and son. Stefan and Loid could onlyment the special treatment orded to the Lauriers future daughter¨Cinw.


    After the pleasant lunch, Mnie had a chat with Lily as Stefan and Lold looked on in silence


    Soon, Mnie noticed Lily¡¯s low mood. She inquired, ¡°Did something happen to you <b>at </b>school?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Loy answered in a faint, disinterested voice.


    Mnie pur on <b>a </b>stem look. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine. You seem upset. Let me know if anything has happened to you. If you¡¯re bullied at school, T¡¯ll go teach those rascals a lesson!¡± That elicited a chuckle from Lily. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. <b>I¡¯m </b>just bothered by the parent¨Cteacher conference. As you know, my grandma is still in the hospital.¡±


    Mnie¡¯s chest tightened. She was aware of Lilly¡¯s background. She was abandoned at a young age and raised by her grandma.


    Now, Belinda was hospitalized. As for Susan, Mnie snorted, thinking, ¡°Iber Susan will only attend <b>the </b>conference <b>for </b>Shannon! Poor Lily


    After ging it some thought, she patted the back of Lily¡¯s <b>hand</b>. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll attend as your parent.¡±


    Lily looked at Mnie with an arched brow. ¡°You<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°Yeah! As your future mother¨Cinw, I¡¯m considered your parent too. Why can¡¯t attend? Mnie sounded confidentT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Asmier


    @ crept onto <b>Loid¡¯s </b>lips. Mnie appeared to be really fond of her future daughter¨Cinw.


    Lily smiled at Mnie and agreed to it because she found it hard to turn down Mnie¡¯s zealous offer.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Loid and Lily returned to Anmer Heights after spending an hour and a half at Laurier Vi.


    Upon their return, Shannon ran over and held Lily¡¯s hand with worry, ¡°Uly, I heard you scored 20 points on the math test. Is that true?¡±


    Lily <b>raised </b>an amused brow. ¡°<b>Yes</b>, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Her admission attracted a surprised look from Loid. He heard of her legendary admission to Ember Creek after scoring zeroes on her admission exams, but he <b>could </b>not believe <b>the </b>extent of her underperformance.


    As Lily excelled in medicine and was able toprehend medical books<b>, </b>Loid always assumed that she <b>was </b>somewhat knowledgeable. To his dismay, she seemed to fare very poorly in academics.


    Twenty points on a math test? He rubbed his forehead with grave concern, <b>wondering </b>if she could sessfully graduate high <b>school</b>.


    ¡°oh, what will you do? The SAT is half a semester away. How are you getting into a university with those scores?¡± Shannon yapped on while stealing a nce at Loid.


    She felt gleefull upon noticing his troubled expression.


    Lily shot shannon a nce before taking a seat on the couch. Lounging, she slurred, ¡°Yeah<b>, </b>I probably can¡¯t make it to university.¡±


    ¡°Lily, <b>don¡¯t </b>be discouraged. I¡¯ll offer you extra buition after school to boost your scores,¡± Shannon offered in a soft voice as though she was worried sick about Lily¡¯s performance.


    Lily burst outughing. ¡°Shannon, you¡¯re in 20th ce in 12th grade, am right? Your ranking dropped by ten ces. Are you sure you¡¯re qualified to teach me?¡±


    Shannon¡¯s expression shitted. Head hanging low, she whispered, ¡°The questions were a little hard this time, and <b>I </b>made some errors. But I¡¯m still qualified to teach you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me that again when you get first ce in 12th grade,¡± Lily retortedzily before ignoring Shannon altogether by ying her mobile game.


    Shannon <b>bit </b>her lip with a spiteful look in her eyes. Soon, she collected herself and turned her attention to Loid. She grabbed her test papers from her bag


    She inquired in a low voice, ¡°Loid, can you walk me through some of the test questions? I struggled with a couple of them in this test. Once I get the solutions<b>, </b>I can better exin them to Lily.¡±


    As Lold was an alumnus of the University of Bridgeport, Shannon hoped to improve her scores by enrolling his help.


    However, Loid nced briefly at her papers before responding, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think Tean solve those questions.¡± His tone carried a polite yet distant <b>air</b>.


    Disheartened, Shannon relented, ¡°Fine, sk my teacher instead.¡±


    After that, Loid ignored Shannon and grabbed hisptop. He sat beside Lily


    Shannon left for her bedroom, leaving behind Loid and Lily in the living room. They lounged around without disturbing each other. asionally, they¡¯d both reach for a drink, just that Loid opted for water while Lilly chose beer.


    He <b>nced </b>at Lilly beforementing, ¡°Excessive drinking is harmful to your health.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She grunted before going back to her mobile game, leaving him dumbfounded


    Why would she continue drinking if she knew it was harmful?


    After spending a silent night with Loid, Lily attended the parent¨Cteacher conference the next day.N?velDrama.Org content.


    The conference for <b>12th </b>graders was scheduled at 7:30 pm. Some parents started filing into the school as early as 7:00pm. The entrance of Ember Creek was abuzz with luxury


    Cars.


    Mnie, having contacted Lily earlier, had arrived at Ember Creek. Loid brought Lily out for a meal before sending her back to school Although the event was a parent¨Cteacher conference, student attendance was mandatory


    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    The students were required to wait outside of their respective ssrooms.


    Prior to Mnie¡¯s arrival, she <b>had </b>gathered the information on Lily¡¯s ssroom and her seat. She immediately took Lily¡¯s seat in ss 18.


    Seated beside Mnie was a humble¨Clooking middle¨Caged man d in a new ck suit. The sult appeared to be a mid¨Crange outfit priced at a thousand dors, probably boughtN?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    for <b>the </b>conference.


    ¡°Hello<b>, </b>there. Are you the father of Lily¡¯s deskmate?¡± Mnie carried herself with elegance. While speaking, she silently examined the man with a glimmer in her eyes.


    Enzo Mosley turned to Mnie and shed her a genuine smile. ¡°Hi, you must be Lily¡¯s mom. Anya told me that Lily takes good care of her. I¡¯ll thank you on Anya¡¯s behalf.¡±


    Mnie beamed. ¡°Lily is a kind soul. Don¡¯t mention it


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Mnie picked up Lily¡¯s test papers <b>from </b>the table. The sight of the contents sent her into <b>a </b>shock. Lily had scored zero in all five subjects save for math, in which she got one question correct


    Lily might have answered every question on the math test, but most of her answers were incorrect.


    Mnie fretted silently. ¡°<b>Does </b>that mean Lily¡¯s total score is 20? she pressed a hand on her head helplessly. Lily¡¯s grades gave her a headache


    Since the parent¨Cteacher conference had not kicked off, Mnie decided to tidy up Lily¡¯s messy desk. When she removed a book from the drawer, a bunch of stuff cascaded and fell onto the ground.


    Mnie picked up the items and broke into a grin. Lily seemed like a pretty popr girl in school, as there were about 30 love letters in her drawer, and they were all from today! When Mnie was organizing the letters for Lily, a teenager with a buzz cut approached her with his head hung low. ¡°Are you Lily¡¯s mom? Can you pass her this letter for me? Mnie, upon recognizing the love letter in his hands, graciously epted it with a smile. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pass it to Lily when I get home.¡±


    The young man was taken aback by Mnie¡¯s liberal attitude and blushed <b>shyly</b>, ¡°Thank you, Madam¡®


    After that, the guy left from the back <b>of </b>ss 18 and arrived at acorner of the staircase, where two girls were waiting for him. He went up and whispered, ¡°Heather, Thanded the love letter to Lily¡¯s mom, but she didn¡¯t look angry at all. She even promised to pass the letter to Lily at home.¡±


    Dumbstruck, Heather¡¯s eyes wavered Alexis was equally bewildered. ¡°<b>Are </b>you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Lily¡¯s mom is pretty easygoing, it seems,¡± the guy replied.


    Heather cast him a few looks before saying, ¡°You may go now.¡±


    After he left, Alexis sank into deep thoughts before turning to Heather. ¡°Did you mess it up? Is the woman today Lily¡¯s real mom instead of Mrs. Laurier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Heather shot Alexis an icy look. ¡°I checked. That woman is Mrs. Laurier without a doubt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty odd, then. Why isn¡¯t she upset at all the love letters <b>for </b>her future daughter¨Cinw?¡± Alexis was puzzled. ¡°The Lauriers will surely disapprove of an ¡®easy woman¡® like Lily. Right?¡±


    Heather stole a nce at ss 18 before looking away ¡°Let¡¯s head to the ssroom for now.


    Disgruntled, Alexis moaned, ¡°Are we going easy on Lily this time?¡± She was hospitalized for a week when Lily injured her hand. Until now, she had trouble with her left hand, but thankfully, the injury did not affect her exam <b>as </b>she was right¨Chanded.


    Alexis had requested her family to look into the matter, but the investigation fell apart. Her father refused to reveal too much, only cautioning her to stay out of trouble with Lily, Naturally, Alexis would not let the matter slide. She resolved to make Lily pay the price for her injury. Heather scotted with a malicious glint in her eyes. ¡°Goeasy on her? Not a chance¡± with that, she left

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Mnie had just finished tidying Lily¡¯s desk when a woman approached.


    ¡°Excuse me, Madam, I think you¡¯re in the wrong seat. This is my daughter¡¯s seat,¡± Susan said gracefully, smiling brightly. She had never met Mnie before and didn¡¯t know she


    was Mrs. Laurier.


    Mnie nced up at Susan, leaning back in her chair with grace. ¡°I¡¯m in the right seat,¡± she replied.


    Mnie knew Susan. <b>She </b>had seen photos of her while investigating the Martinez family before this. <b>She </b>didn¡¯t like Susan.


    A woman who could abandon her newborn child and constantly exploit her daughter for her own <b>gain </b>was someone she couldn¡¯t stand.


    Susan paused for a moment, taken aback. ¡°This is Lily¡¯s seat. She¡¯s my daughter. Who are you?¡±


    Susan was aware of the upper¨Css families at Ember Creek High School and didn¡¯t dare to be rude to anyone. Besides, <b>she </b>always maintained an elegant and refined demeanor <b>in </b>public. She had to keep up appearances.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lily¡¯s mother¨Cinw, Mnie,¡± Mnie replied coldly, looking at Susan with indifference.


    Anya¡¯s father, who <b>was </b>standing nearby, looked at Mnie in surprise Then, he quickly turned away


    Susan froze in ce upon hearing Mnie¡¯s response, unable to react <b>for </b><b>a </b>moment.


    After a while, she regained herposure and hurriedly tried to make amends. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Laurier, I¡¯m sorry for not recognizing you. Lily really should have informed me. How could she trouble you?ll definitely talk to her about it.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Martinez, Lily is my daughter¨Cinw, which makes her my daughter. Attending parent¨Cteacher conferences for her is not a bother. And you don¡¯t need to scold her as it¡¯s not your ce to do so,¡± Mnie said, her expression remaining cold.


    If it weren¡¯t for the parent¨Cteacher conference about to start and the presence of many people in the ssroom, Mnie would have surely confronted <b>Susan</b>.


    How could she let <b>this </b>kind of person bully her precious daughter¨Cinw?


    Susan felt embarrassed. ¡°Mrs. Laurier, that¡¯s not necessary. Lily is my daughter, and attending parent¨C<b>teacher </b>conferences is my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Your responsibility?¡± Mnie chuckled. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. From now <b>on</b>, she¡¯s the responsibility of the Laurier family.¡±


    ¡°BUL¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    Susan wanted to <b>say </b>something more, but Mnie¡¯s leave now.¡±


    e¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°The parent¨Cteacher conference is about to begin. If there¡¯s nothing else, Mrs. Martinez, you should


    As soon <b>as </b>Susan met Mnie¡¯s icy gaze, she shivered and lowered her head. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Mnie ignored her.


    After Susan left, Anya¡¯s father turned to Mnie. ¡°Did Lily get married at just 19?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s just engaged,¡± Mnie replied, her expression softening


    <b>Anya¡¯s </b>father nodded. ¡°It¡¯s clear you¡¯re a good mother¨Cinw.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Mnie finally smiled


    Outside the ssroom, Loid and Lily had just arrived and <b>saw </b>Susaning out of the ssroom. She <b>looked </b>disheveled and defeated.


    Lily looked at the ssroom. She raised her eyebrows slightly, showing a soft smile,


    Tan, who had arrived earlier, approached Lay. He looked at Mnie inside the ssroom and said cheekly, ¡°Lily, is that your mom? Wow, she¡¯s really beautiful. You definitely got those strong genes.¡±


    Lily was quite well¨Cknown at school, and many students were curious <b>to </b><b>see</b>


    see what Lily¡¯s n


    ¡®s mother looked like.


    As a result, students were crowding around the window of ssroom 18 to take a <b>look</b>


    Lily nced atn. ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jan was confused. ¡°She¡¯s not your mom? Then who is she?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°My future mother¨Cinw,¡± Lily replied proudly,

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Loid burst outughing. Did acknowledging Mnie as her mother¨Cinw mean Lily was willing to ept him?


    He knew he could rely on his mother,


    A student¡¯s future mother¨Cinw came for the parent¨Cteacher <b>conference</b>. It was a first in history. That was something only Lily would do.


    At 7:30 pm, the parent¨Cteacher conference began.


    John briefly talked about the exam papers and the students¡® scores. After encouraging the parents and mentioning the uing SAT, he then ended the meeting.


    Unlike other teachers, he didn¡¯t waste <b>time </b>on useless chatter


    The remaining time was for parents to consult John about their children¡¯s performance at <b>school </b>and other rted matters. John was very patient, and each parent had a thorough discussion with him


    When almost all the parents were done, John approached Mnie. ¡°You¡¯re Lily¡¯s parent, right?¡±


    Mnie nodded, stood up, and smiled. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everton.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was polite and courteous, without any <b>airs </b>of an aristocraticdy.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about Lily.¡± John pursed his lips. ¡°Actually, she¡¯s <b>quite </b>smart. In the recent test, there was a math question worth 20 points. Only a few students in the whole grade got it right.


    ¡°She imed to have copied it, but I think she just doesn¡¯t want to study. That question couldn¡¯t have been copied.¡±


    At that time in ss, John believed Lily. But after ss, he thought for awhile and felt something was wrong Later, hechecked Lily¡¯s answer to that question. It waspletely different from the other students¡® answers, offering apletely new solution. It was better than the others¡® answers too.


    He also checked Lily¡¯s answers to other questions. They seemed messy, but the methods used were correct. Only the answers were wrong


    He didn¡¯t believe it was a coincidence.


    ¡°I believe, with the right guidance from parents, she can still get into university,¡± John said.


    Mnie nced at Lily¡¯s papers. ¡°Can she really get into university with her grades?¡±


    With a score of it was uncertain if she could finish high school, let alone consider university.


    Originally, Mnte was considering using connections to find a private university for Lily. But now, she was somewhat intrigued by John¡¯s words. It would be good if Lily could get into university on her own. After all, having some knowledge would benefither wherever she went.


    ¡°There¡¯s still <b>a </b>semester and a halt before the SAT. With the joint efforts of parents and teachers, she can still make it. Perhaps you haven¡¯t noticed her strengths, which has led her to <bck </b>self¨Cconfidence,¡± John said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mnie put away the papers. ¡°Could ask you to go her more attention <b>and </b>assistance? I¡¯ll also ensure she studies well.¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s my duty.¡±


    After a brief exchange, Mnie left


    As she walked, she made a phone call ¡°Get me some SAT prep materials and deliver them to Anmer Heights.¡±


    The responsibility of encouraging Lily to study should be handed over to Loid<b>.</b>


    This could potentially improve their rtionship.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter <b>101</b>


    After the parent¨Cteacher conference, Mnie headed back home.


    Before leaving, she pulled Loid aside and reminded him, ¡°Mr. Everton said that with parents and the school cooperating, Lily can achieve good grades. I¡¯ve already arranged for the SAT practice test to be sent to Anmer Heights. I¡¯m entrusting this to you.¡±


    Mnie parted Loid on the shoulder. ¡°Son, I¡¯m giving you an opportunity. You need to put in extra effort so you don¡¯t drive away my daughter¨Cinw.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Loid pinched his brow, feeling somewhat speechless. But he didn¡¯t say anything. Focusing on Lily¡¯s studies seemed like a good n, but Loid wasn¡¯t sure if she would be willing to


    cooperate.


    After Mnie left, Loid and the others got ready to leave too.


    Shaun and Daniel <b>also </b>came, but they didn¡¯t go into the ssroom. They wanted to roam around Ember Creek High School to reminisce about their high school days.


    Loid:


    I gave Shaun and the others <b>a </b>call. Soon, they arrived, and they all went back together.


    On the road, Loid leaned against the window with a slight smile, looking at Lily. ¡°Your teacher thinks highly of you,¡± he said, in a good mood.


    Lily turned to him, raising an eyebrow


    ¡°So, my mom wants me to supervise your study. Practice tests have been sent to Anmer Heights, one for each day,¡± Lold said, his smile growing.


    Lily, expressionless<b>, </b>looked at Loid briefly and <b>said</b>, ¡°Do you have nothing better to <b>do</b><b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°This is for your own good,¡± Loid replied calmly, adjusting his position.


    Lily conceded, saying nothing


    Shaun leaned back in his seat and jokingly asked, ¡°Lily, can you share some tips for scoring 20 points?¡±


    Lily leaned back in her chairzily and asked<b>, </b>¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°just wondering, how can someone be so stupid? With a total score of 750, you only scored 20 points,¡± sham <b>said</b><b>, </b>touching his earlobe. ¡°You¡¯re a girl with a personality. At least try to get a few more points.¡±


    time<b>, </b><b>I¡¯ll </b>alm for 21 points.¡±


    Lily nodded thoughtfully and <b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°You¡¯re right. Next time, I


    Loid and Shaun were both rendered speechless by herment, Shaun wanted to pry open her mind <b>and </b><b>see </b>what she was thinking, but he didn¡¯t have the guts to do so. ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl. Why do you always act foolishly at critical moments? Why can¡¯t you be like your sister? She keeps bothering you every other day, unting her academic achievements in front of you. Why not excel to prove you¡¯re capable too?¡±


    Shaun genuinely worried for Lily. The children in Martinez¡¯s family were all troublemakers. They always bothered Lily for no reason. If Shaun were younger, he¡¯d surely teach them a lesson


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Lily said lightly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Shaun was about to say something in response when Lily¡¯s phone rang.


    She answered the call and heard Anya¡¯s urgent voice on the other end. ¡°Lily, Poppy is about <b>to </b>jump into the river. I can¡¯t stop her. Pleasee and help!¡±


    Lily¡¯s pupils contracted, and her voice turned cold. ¡°Give me the address¡°)


    ¡°Sapphire Flow,¡± Anya reported the address before hanging up.


    Loid was close to Lily and heard the phone call. His expression turned cold. ¡°Daniel, Sapphire Flow.¡±


    Daniel acknowledged and elerated the car. Lily clenched her fist tightly, her expression unusually cold, radiating a chilling aura.


    After a few minutes, they were still in the city.


    Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Stop the carl¡±


    Daniel obediently stopped. Lily got out of the car and walked to the driver¡¯s seat, opening the door.


    ¡°Sit in the back!¡±


    Daniel nced at Loid. Seeing him remain silent, he obediently moved to the back <b>seat</b>.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Lily started the car. The car darted forward with speed, reminiscent of aunched projectile. The expressions of the three passengers changed immediately, and they all quickly grabbed onto the handles.


    Shaun pressed against the car window, his face pale. ¡°Lily, you need to slow down! You¡¯ll get us killed!¡±


    Lily nced at him but ignored him. Loid regained hisposure, ncing at Lily¡¯s cold expression in the mirror, his eyes narrowed.


    He didn¡¯t know who Poppy was on the phone. Apart from her grandenother and Jason, he had never witnessed tily losing control like this before.


    The car sped <b>all </b>the way. Upon reaching Sapphire Flow, <b>a </b>figure leaped off the riverbank before Lily could stop the car.


    Immediately, Anya screamed, ¡°Puppy!¡±


    Anya stood there <b>in </b><b>a </b>panic, tears streaming down her face<b>. </b>¡°Is there anyone? Help, someone help!


    Looking around and finding no one nearby, she didn¡¯t hesitate and jumped into the water as well


    Once Lily parked the car, she saw Anya jumping in. Without hesitation, Lily rushed over and jumped into the river.


    Loid wanted to grab her but it was toote. He followed Lily and jumped <b>in</b><b>. </b>Shaun <b>and </b>Daniel¡¯s faces turned pale.


    Shaun looked at the rushing river, his expression grave, and asked, ¡°What do we do<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Save them! What else can we <b>do</b>?¡± Daniel said, about to jump in too.


    Shaun quickly grabbed him. ¡°Are you guys out of your minds? Can¡¯t you see this is a fast¨Cflowing river? This is a suicide mission!¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest then? Daniel yelled back.


    His eyes had a hint of red, and his chest was heaving. He was scared.


    ¡°Quick, call for help!¡± Shaun barked. ¡°You stay here for rescue. I¡¯ll go down and check.¡±


    ¡°But..¡± Daniel hesitated<b>.</b>


    ¡°But what? Loid jumped in, do you want to follow too? Can you handle the consequences of this? Shaim yelled. ¡°Hurry up and call the ambnce!¡±


    Daniel no longer hesitated and immediately called for rescue.


    It was dark, and Shaun couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the water from the riverbank. He yelled a few times but got no response.


    Just as he was thinking of a way to reach the shallows, two figures suddenly emerged.


    Shaun was startled, but when he saw told, he quickly called out to Daniel on the riverbank, ¡°Daniel,e over here!¡±


    He and Daniel pulled Loid onto the riverbank Loid had two girls in his arms.


    <b>Shaun </b>looked at them and asked urgently, ¡°Where¡¯s Lily?¡±


    Loid¡¯s expression changed as he asked, ¡°She¡¯s not here?¡±


    shaun shuddered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡­


    Loid¡¯s face turned pale. Without a second thought, he plunged back into the water.


    Daniel wanted to stop <b>him</b>, but Shaun held him back, ¡°Let him go. You know how he is. Besides, Lily hasn¡¯t surfaced yet, so he won¡¯t just stand by.¡±


    Shaun sighed and said, ¡°Looks like Loid has truly fallen for her.¡±


    Daniel sermed about to sprak but stayed quiet in the end.


    Soon, the rescue and medical teams arrived. They first treated the two girls who had been saved by Loid. Meanwhile, Shaun continued to observe the situation from the riverbankN?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Loid quickly dove into the water and soon fished Lily up. Thankfully, Lily was fine. She just couldn¡¯t find Anya and Poppy after looking for them for a while


    Later<b>, </b>she met Loid, and he insisted on bringing her up. She felt a bit weak, so she let Loid hold her. After they got back on dry <bnd</b>, Anya and Poppy were also rescued. They had just choked on water.


    With a cold expression, Lily walked up to Poppy and said, ¡°Exin<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Her lips were pale, and her hair was still wet. Poppy felt guilty and lowered her head without saying anything. Lily simply stared at her coldly


    After a while, Poppy couldn¡¯t bear Lily¡¯s gaze and finally raised her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lily, I just..¡± Can¡¯t take it anymore!


    ¡°Isent you to Ember Creek High School just for you tomit suicide? Lily grabbed Poppy¡¯s cor, lifting her. Her gaze was icy. ¡°Is it worth it?¡±


    When she was in Driftwood Bay, Poppy often wrote letters to her updating her about their lives.


    So when Lily came to Ember Creek High School without contacting them, she wanted them to focus <b>on </b>their studies. She never expected Poppy tomit suicide Lily squinted, her expression cold.


    ¡°L..L.¡± Poppy was scared and could only cry silently with her head down.


    <b>The </b>atmosphere was tense. Loid fetched some clean clothes from the car, put them on Lily, and hugged <b>her</b>.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first,¡±


    Lily stayed quiet for a moment before releasing Poppy. At that moment, a boy hurried over and took Poppy¡¯s hand ¡°Puppy, are


    are you okay?¡±


    Poppy lowered her head and murmured, ¡°Bobby.¡±


    ¦§


    The boy looked up and saw Lily. His body stiffened. ¡°You¡¯re here too.¡±


    Lily nced at them coldly <b>and </b><b>said</b>, ¡°You guys,e with me. With that<b>, </b>she turned and walked away. Poppy watched Lily walk away and turned to grab the boy¡¯s arm, ¡°Bobby, what should we do? Lily¡¯s mad.¡± Bobby sighed and patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, she won¡¯t stay mad at you.¡±


    since there were men around, she didn¡¯t change.


    In the car, Loid patiently wiped Lily¡¯s hair with a dry towel. Although there was an extra set of clothes in the car, s Lily stayed silent during the journey, giving <b>off </b>an intimidating vibe that made even Shaun besitant to look back at her. The car soon arrived at anmer.


    Shannon heard the noise and hurried <b>over</b>. ¡°Lily, you¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Lily shouted <b>and </b>walked <b>inside </b>without even sparing her a nce.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Shannon passed ¡°Lily, L.¡±


    Before she could speak, Loid gave her a cold <b>look</b>. ¡°<b>Ms. </b>Martinez, there¡¯s something we <b>need </b>to deal with at home today, so it¡¯s not convenient for you to stay. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to send you back.¡±


    But.


    Shaun was annoyed by Shannon¡¯s behavior. He grabbed her and dragged her out, ¡°But what? Didn¡¯t you hear what Loid said? Leave


    Daniel stepped forward, looking indifferent ¡°Ms. Martinez, I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Shannon was upset but stayed silent, following Daniel As she left, she red at Lily with intense hatred.


    Anya, Puppy, and Bobby came back in another car. As soon as they entered, they stood in front of Lily. They all hung their heads low, too scared to speak.


    Anya hadn¡¯t done anything wrong she just sensed that Lily was in <b>a </b>bad mood and felt suffocated by her presence. Lily¡¯s cold expression made her hesitant to speak


    ¡°Speak,¡± Lily said, ring at them with icy eyes. Just one word from her made all three of them shiver


    Originally, Lold wanted Lily to <b>change </b>her clothes before addressing the situation. However, upon seeing Lily¡¯s current state, he knew it would be hard to convince her. He teared she might direct her anger at him.


    56, bet <b>bose </b>to ermain silent.


    Poppy and Bobby looked at Lily, opened their mouths<b>, </b>and lowered their heads without speaking


    Anja nced at them and hesitated briefly Then, she took mit her phone and handed it to be ¡°This was Poppy¡¯sst message.¡±

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    ¡°Anya¡±


    Poppy looked anxious and tried to stop


    ed to stop her. However, Lily had already taken the phone. She quickly lowered her head again.


    1/1


    Lily looked at the message in Anya¡¯s phone and her expression turned colder. Before attempting suicide, Poppy had posted on the school forum.


    ¡°I hate this world, I hate everyone who¡¯s cold<b>¨C</b>hearted. I can handle your bullying <b>and </b>your beatings, but I can¡¯t stand you stripping me and taking photos of me. I hate you all. I¡¯m <b>done</b>. I¡¯ll be a vengeful ghost to haunt you all!


    Lily tossed the phone onto the table, her face nk as she asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Anya paused before saying, ¡°Poppy¡¯s always been bullied. They¡¯ve used her of stealing, poured dirty water on her, and even made her eat <b>expired </b>food.


    ¡°But today was the worst. They stripped her, took photos, and threatened to share them online. I think they¡¯ve probably <b>already </b>done it.¡±


    Anya couldn¡¯t understand why Lily was always helping her. But now she understood. It was because of Poppy. She had a good rtionship with Poppy, but they didn¡¯t <b>dare </b>to be


    close.


    They both <b>got </b>bullied, especially when they were seen together. So, they always kept their distance.


    Lily looked at Shaun and asked, ¡°Can you go upstairs and grab myptop?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Shaun sald <b>and </b>went upstairs,


    Shortly after, Shaun came back with theptop. Lily turned it on <b>and </b>began typing. Shaun widened his eyes in amazement at her impressive speed.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s fat¡±


    Loid watched Lily closely, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He finally understood why hisputer had triggered an rm that day. Lily was hiding her true abilities


    After two minutes of typing, Lily stopped suddenly, her expression bing serious. There were indeed photos of Poppy online, but Lily hadn¡¯t deleted them. Instead, she limited ess to the website for others.


    Lily shut down theptop and stared coldly at Poppy. ¡°Who did this?N?velDrama.Org content.


    Poppy still dared not speak. <b>Just </b>as Anya was about to speak for her, Lily intervened expressionlessly, ¡°Let her speak for herself¡±


    <b>Poppy </b>hesitated, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Lily: ¡°Lily..¡°¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to speak, fearing it would cause trouble for <b>Lily</b>.


    ¡°Stop crying!¡± Lily snapped, silencing Poppy instantly.


    Loid and Shaun were surprised to see Lily so serious for the first time. Why did Poppy matter so much to Lily?


    ¡°Here¡¯s your chance. Will you speak up now, or should I investigate myself?¡±


    Lily¡¯s patience was running out. If it were someone else, she would have lost her temper already. Only Poppy could push her patience to such limits.


    ¡°It¡¯s it¡¯s Heather,¡± Poppy stammered, trembling ¡°She wanted to help Beatrice get back at me. That¡¯s why she did it.¡±


    Lily frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with Beatrice?¡±¡±


    ¡°She¡­she thinks Bobby and I are Maxwell¡¯s illegitimate children, so she.¡± Poppy faltered. ¡°But she hasn¡¯t done anything to us. Please don¡¯t me her.¡±


    Poppy approached Lily and <b>took </b>her hand. ¡°Lily, I <b>know </b>I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡±


    Lilly stayed silent and simply looked at Puppy.


    After awhile, Lily turned to Loid. ¡°Arrange some rooms for them.¡±


    Loid nodded and said, <b>¡°</b>Alright.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lily said before leading Poppy and the others upstairs.


    After a few steps, Lily suddenly felt dizzy and fainted. Loid quickly stepped forward and caught Lily as she fainted.


    ¡°Shaun, drive. We need to go to the hospital,¡± Loid instructed urgently.


    Sham, stunned by Lily¡¯s sudden copse, didn¡¯t react immediately until Loid called out to him again.


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡±


    Enid held Lily tightly, looking worried. He noticed her unusually pale face and weak breathing, which seemed serious. Laid¡¯s grip instinctively tightened. He was determined to keep her safe

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    There was amotion at Lagersfield City Hospital. The directors and department heads gathered in the emergency room.


    Half an hourter, Director Benjamin Green arrived with a stack of test reports and approached Loid.


    He opened the door and said respectfully, ¡°Loid, the bests show <b>that </b>Ms. Brooks doesn¡¯t have any major issues. She naturally has a cold body constitution, so her menstrual <b>pains </b>are more severe than usual. <b>She </b>should avoid cold water.¡±


    Benjamin looked at Loid, who wore a dark suit that highlighted his perfect physique. Loid¡¯s brows furrowed deeply


    Talking a deep breath, Benjamin continued, ¡°She likely fainted because of <b>exposure </b><b>to </b>cold <b>water </b>and poor nutrition. Some nutritional fluid should <b>help</b>.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Loid felt relieved.


    ¡°Can it be cured?¡± Lold asked, ncing at the girl in the ward.


    Her eyes were tightly shut, making her look frall and weak.


    es nutritional supplements, it should be


    ¡°Her <b>condition </b>is unique. There <b>haven¡¯t </b>been any cases where it¡¯s been cured, But if she avoids cold water, eats warm foods<b>, </b>and takes n manageable.


    ¡°However, <b>she¡¯ll </b>still experience severe stomach pains every month.¡±


    Benjamin was a bit afraid of Loid, but he couldn¡¯t just offer false hope


    Loid frowned and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to allevate her pain?¡±!


    The mere thought of Lily suffering from such pain every month made Loid¡¯s heart ahce.


    She was always stubborn, bearing everything alone. She didn¡¯t realize that the more she endured alone, the more those who truly loved her <b>would </b>hurt.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way, but it won¡¯t help Ms. Brooks much,¡± Benjamin said, his lips tightening. <b>¡°</b>You can use warm water to soothe her abdomen during those days each month. It might ease some of her pain.¡±


    Benjamin wanted to <b>say </b>that warm water wouldn¡¯t help Lily much due to her condition. But seeing the seriousness on Loid¡¯s tace, he didn¡¯t dare to tell the truth.


    ¡°Got it. You can continue with your work, Loid cald casually, turning his gave away.


    Benjamin felt relieved and quickly left with the group of doctors.


    After they had walked some <b>distance</b>, some doctors asked, ¡°Benjamin, who is that person? Is it necessary for all the hospital heads to gather for a girl¡¯s menstrual pain?¡± Benjamin nced at the doctor and replied, ¡°He is your bread and butter, the <b>one </b>who holds the power in this hospital, Listen up, from now on, keep a close watch out. If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s connected to that girl, make sure to pay attention to them.¡±


    ¡°Dr.Green, it appears the girl¡¯s grandmother is in our hospital,¡± Dr. Barrett mentioned.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Benjamin¡¯s face changed drastically.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask,¡± Dr. Barrett said, lowering his head.


    Benjamin red at him and hurried away


    Lold and Shaun entered the ward, finding Lily still unconscious. Perhaps due to the nutritional fluid, herplexion had improved significantly


    Shaun looked at Lily, feeling uneasy. ¡°This girl is usually so cold and arrogant, it¡¯s strange to see her <b>lying </b>here so quietly now!


    Laid sat down beside Lily¡¯s bed and held her hand. He then noticed that Lily¡¯s hand was icy cold as if it had been in a freezer.


    A few strands of Lily¡¯s hair tell over her face, hiding her cheeks. Loid gently brushed them away. The soft light settened her sharp features, making her look less intimidating.


    Loid nced at Sh and said, ¡°You can head back. I¡¯ll send her back to Anmer Heightster?¡±


    Sham could tell that Loid wanted to be alone with Lily, so he didn¡¯t say anything


    when Lily finished the fist Perhaps due to her weakness, she slept soundly, Loid carried her out of the hospital without waking her up. Like sowed slightly pust of word lifted her hair.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Loid could clearly smell a faint herbal scent on her. He had always been sensitive to traditional medicine but didn¡¯t mind the smell on Lily.


    He had never onceined about the medicine she gave. Whenever she gave it to <b>him</b><b>, </b>he willingly epted it.


    During the trip, Loid drove slowly and carefully. When they arrived at Anmer Heights, he found that Anya and the others were still awake. Seeing them arrive home, they hurried


    <ol>


    <li><b>OV</b>.</li>


    </ol>


    When she noticed that Lily was asleep, Anya whispered, ¡°How is Lily?¡±


    ¡°She just caught a cold, so there¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Loid reassured them. ¡°You all should rest early and not let her worry.¡±


    Loid could tell that Lily cared for these kids, so his attitude toward them softened. As he carried Lily upstairs, Bobby suddenly blocked his way.


    ¡°Where are <b>you </b>taking her<b>?</b>¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    Loid nced at him and said, ¡°Taking!


    her to rest in the room.¡±


    ¡°No need. She can sleep in my sister¡¯s room,¡± Hobby said, staring at him cautiously,


    He never asked about Lily¡¯s <b>affairs</b>, so he was unaware of her rtionship with Loid. Despite this, he could tell that Loid had ill¨Cintentions toward Lily.


    ¡°Are you sure your sister can take care of her?¡±


    Bobby lowered his head in silence.


    Loid narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Go to sleep!¡± Then he went upstairs, ignoring them.


    ¡°But..¡± Bobby wanted to say something, but Anya pulled him aside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s Lily¡¯s fianc¨¦ He¡¯ll look after her.¡±


    Anya could see that Loid cared a lot about Lily Bobby hesitated briefly but remained silent. Poppy watched Loid leave, a subtle emotion crossing her <b>eyes</b>. Loid ended up taking Lily to his room. He was worried she would wake up or feel unwell during the night, so he decided to stay with her.


    Originally, Loid nned to give the bed to Lily and sleep on the sofa for the night.


    However, whenever he tried to loosen her grip on his waist, her eyebrows furrowed. After some thought, Loid decided to sleep in the same bed as Lily.


    The next morning, a golden light streamed in through the <b>window</b>.


    As Lily slept, she felt a big ¡°heater¡± next to her<b>. </b><b>She </b>hugged it rightly and enjoyed its warmth. She gently touched it with her fair and slender fingers, enjoying the sensation. Beside her, Loid, who was already awake, was tense. Lily sometimes touched his face or chest. Now, she had gone too far, cing her hand directly on has abdomen.


    Afierysensation surged through his throat, prompting him to swallow hard. His expression was somewhat unnatural.


    Loid meant to wake Lily up. However, he grabbed her hand too forcefully, jotting her awake with a sudden pain.


    She turned her heal and saw Loid¡¯s handsome face. She paused for <b>a </b>moment before locking eyes with him.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    The coom¡¯s temperature <b>gradually </b>rose. The atmosphere felt a bit strange. Lily gazed at Loid, her fair face gradually flushing


    It was Lily¡¯s first time being so near Loid. His features were finely shaped with clear lines. His deep eyes, high nose, cold lips, and stray hair falling over his cheek made him look captivating


    Lily stared nkly, lost in her thoughts. Only then did she notice he was burning up.


    His body always radiated aforting warmth, and Lily cherished their time together. After all, she was often chilly, and he always provided her with the warmth she needed.


    But his body had never been this hot before. She smiled softly as she gazed at Lold.


    ¡°Loid, I¡¯m still a child.¡±


    She reclined halfway, her soft hair cascading around her. Her clear eyes sparkded mischievously, nut aloof but somewhat flirtatious.


    Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed as he gripped her hand, his voice dry. ¡°Why tease me then? I¡¯m a man,¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who carried me into your room?¡± Laly smiled faintly, looking even more <b>charming </b>in the sunlight.


    Even though she had faintedst night, she wasn¡¯tpletely unconscious. She knew Loid had been with her all night and holding her hand to keep her warm andfortable.


    She didn¡¯t me Loid. She just wanted to tease him because she had never seen him blush before.


    He was speechless. ¡°I did it to take care of you<b>,</b>¡± he said, hoping Lily wouldn¡¯t misunderstand his intentions


    Lily smiled and sat up. ¡°I know. I was just joking.¡±


    Loid sighed with relief, and his <b>body </b>started to cool down.


    Lily nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s 8:00 am already?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Loid <b>said </b>as he sat up. Although he looked calm, his face was still warm. He looked at Lily: ¡°Your ssmates are still waiting for you¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    It was past 6:00 am. when Shaun arrived. Hearing the noise, Loid texted Shaun, telling him not to disturb Lily¡¯s rest


    But Shaun texted back saying the students refused to leave and insisted on waiting for Lily to wake up.


    Lily didn¡¯t say anything else. <b>She </b>simply opened the door and went downstairs, Lold followed closely behind.


    Laid instructed the chef to prepare extra for breakfast, knowing Lily would be apanied by Anya and others. After they finished eating, Lily took them to school.


    Ember Creek High School


    As second period ended, Sean looked where Lily and Anya <b>usually </b><b>sat</b>, confused.


    ¡°Strange.. Why aren¡¯t Lily and Anya here? Did something happen?¡±


    ording to Lily, it was her mother¨Cinw who attended the parent¨Cteacher conference


    Could it be that her mother¨Cinw seemed nice but scolded Lily at home because she was embarrassed by Lily¡¯s grades?


    ¡°Impossible. It¡¯s Lily, You know how she is. Who could <b>scold </b>her?¡± <b>Sean </b>shrugged. ¡°Besides, Anya hasn¡¯t shown up either. She <b>couldn¡¯t </b>have been scolded by her parents.¡± ¡°True,n nodded. ¡°Let me give Lily a call..¡±


    Before he finished, the ssroom door was kicked open. Tan looked up <b>and </b>saw Lily walking in, looking angry.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Sean shrank back, a bit scared. ¡°Who made her angry


    Jan remained silent and watched Lily.


    Lily stood at the front of the ss, her cold gaze scanning her ssmates. ¡°Next study session, everyone except Heather and Alexis, leave. If you want to go home, go. If not, <b>find </b>somewhere else to stay.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a ssmate asked.


    ¡°Just dealing with personal stuff. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already talked to Mr. Everton,¡± Lily sat


    Her eyes had been fixed on Heather since she entered. Lily always had a cold attitude. Heather suddenly felt ufortable, avoiding Lily¡¯s gaze


    After a moment, Heather felt irritated. She couldn¡¯t believe she was intimidated by a country girl. How ridiculous


    Seeing everyone remain silent,n stood up and banged the table. ¡°Why are you still here? Didn¡¯t you hear Lily?¡±


    The ssmates left quickly, but am and Anys stayed. Anya, who had arrived with Lily, was concerned and chose not to leave.


    Sean was scared of Lily, so he left with the other ssmates. Only five people remained in the ssroom.


    Lily took a step forward, slowly approaching Heather with silver needles in her hand.


    Heather stood up, staring straight at Lily, sneering. ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re starting a fight with me before I start one with you? Think again. I¡¯m not like Jack.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Lily was standing in front of Heather. She lifted her fingers, <b>and </b>several silver needles pierced Heather quickdy.


    Heather was instantly immobilized, and her expression changed. ¡°What did you do to me?


    ¡°Lagersfield City¡¯s underworld and Maynard family¡¯s daughter. You¡¯re tough, but you¡¯re no <b>match </b>for me,¡± Lily said, her eyes shining. ¡°I chose not to fight with you, not because I¡¯m scared, but to make you feel helpless.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, Lily quickly stripped off Heather¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Jan turned away quickdy.


    Heather¡¯s eyes zed with anger. She tried to move but found herself immobilized, unable to even lift a finger. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Lily looked at her coldly


    Alexis was afraid and tried to nun. But before she could move, <b>a </b>silver needle pinned her in ce too.


    Lily looked at Alexis. <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s not your turn yet. Be patient.¡±


    Then she faced Heather again. ¡°Enjoy stripping others¡® clothes? Bullying the weak<b>, </b>huh?¡±


    Suddenly, Lily grabbed Heather¡¯s hand and bugged hard, <b>breaking </b>her bones with a crack. Heather screamed in pain, her face twisting She tried to cover her hand but couldn¡¯t


    Lily watched her scream in pain, unmoved,n, who was still covering his face, shivered at the sound of her screams. Lily was too ruthless!


    After a few minutes, Heather¡¯s cries weakened, and Lily crushed her other hand Heather¡¯s screams echoed again.


    Unable to move, Alexis felt numb. ¡°Lily, please<b>, </b>spare us. We have no grudge against you. We¡¯re ssmates. There¡¯s no need to be so cruel.¡±


    ¡°No grudge?¡± Lily looked back at her. ¡°Then what about Poppy?¡±


    Alexis hesitated, then realized. ¡°<b>You</b>¡°re doing this for Poppy? But she has nothing to do with you, does she?


    ¡°You said you were protecting Anya<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>we </b>didn¡¯t touch her. But you can¡¯t just me everything on us, <b>can </b>you?¡± Lily smiled. ¡°Oh, did I not tell you? Poppy <b>is </b>my sister.¡±

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    ¡°What?¡± Alexis¡¯s face changed.


    No <b>wonder </b>Lily was so angry today, so¡­ Oh my <b>god</b>! Alexis realized that everything they did to Poppy woulde back to them today. She was certain Lily would do <b>such </b>a thing because she <b>was </b>a lunatic.


    Heather stopped screaming, and Lily moved on to break her left foot. For the next half an hour, continuous screams echoed from ss 18. It <b>was </b>horrifying and unbearable.


    Students from other sses heard the screams from ss 18 but didn¡¯t dare to enter. ss 18 was surrounded by individuals d in ck suits, all sporting cold and stem expressions.


    The students of Ember Creek High School had never witnessed such a terrifying scene and were too afraid to leave their ssrooms.


    Some teachers wanted to investigate but were stopped by the bodyguards outside the door.


    Alew teachers approached the principal, but he just waved his hand and said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After that, nothing happened. The teachers understood the principal¡¯s attitude, and no one dared to speak up anymore.


    Back in ss 18, It wasn¡¯t until Lily broke Heather and Alexis¡¯s hands and feet that she removed the silver needles.


    <b>But </b>by then, Heather and Alexis couldn¡¯t stand anymore and copsed to the ground.


    Stepping forward, Lily looked down at them and said coldly, ¡°I haven¡¯tpletely destroyed you. Do you know why?¡±


    Heather red at her fiercely. ¡®T¡¯ll get revenge<b>. </b>I¡¯ll make you suffer.¡±


    Lily smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! I want you to seek revenge. I want you to see how your familles vanish because of your foolishness.¡±


    Lily stood up, opened the ssroom door, and called the bodyguards in ¡°Send them back intact to the Maynard family and the Armstrong family.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the bodyguards said as they lifted Heather and Alexis and carried them our


    Tan watched Lily and suddenly sat down on the ground. His legs went weak. He was terrified Lily nced at him, turned, and lett


    Perhaps after today, the students of Ember Creek High School would see her as a lunatic. But she didn¡¯t care.


    Poppy and Bobby were the people she would protect with her life. Whoever dared to harm them would pay the price.N?velDrama.Org content.


    The incident caused a huge uproar in the city. Lily became the target of public criticism at Ember Creek High School.


    Fighting or bullying among students was often ignored. But Lily¡¯s actions had be a societal issue. How cruel could someone be to strip a female student¡¯s clothes for no reason and break her limbs?


    Some parents demanded severe punishment for Lily. They were concerned about their children¡¯s safety and believed Lily was a dangerous individual

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Chapter 110


    At first, the school didn¡¯t


    was in turmoil<b>,</b>


    pay attention to the incident. But then, someone shared it on Facebook. Lily was immediately criticized all over the inte. Ember Creek High School


    In Joseph¡¯s office, the dean and several teachers looked serious as they discussed the incident


    ¡°Mr. Woodley, we can¡¯t overlook this matter. It¡¯s had a terrible impact. If we don¡¯t expel Lilly, Ember Creelt High School¡¯s reputation will be ruined,¡± Nancy said in frustration.


    Other teachers hurriedly agreed. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s only been here less than a month and has already caused chaos at Ember Creek High School. Our students are living in tear every day, afraid that Lily will target them.¡±


    Josephi leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanged<b>. </b>¡°She won¡¯t target other <b>students</b>. They can study in peace,¡± <b>he </b>said.


    ¡°What <b>do </b>you mean? Are you protecting Lily?¡± Nancy asked Joseph in disbelief. ¡°I know you brought her here, but you can¡¯t just let her get away with this, can you? This is a matter


    of character.¡±


    Joseph nced at her but didn¡¯t speak


    ¡°This issue must be addressed,<b>¡± </b><b>Nancy </b>said firmly.


    Nancy was already upset with Lily. Now that Lily had caused trouble, <b>Nancy </b>didn¡¯t want her to stay at Ember Creek High School anymore.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll handle it.¡± Joseph told the dean. ¡°You¡¯ll <b>send </b>out a notice. Heather, Alexis, and 20 other students will face discipline for bullying. They¡¯ll receive serious consequences, and it will be noted in their records. If it happens again, they¡¯ll be expelled.¡±


    When be said this, all the teachers except the dean stared <b>at </b>Joseph in disbelief.


    Nancy felt frustrated. ¡°Joseph What is wrong with you? Heather and Alexis are the ones being bullied. You¡¯re not standing up for them? But instead, you¡¯re punishing them?¡±


    ¡°This is my decision. You can all return to your tasks,¡± Joseph said, waving his hand to dismiss the discussion,


    ¡°You!¡± Nancy was <b>furious</b>. But upon seeing Joseph¡¯s determined expression, she felt powerkss.


    After a long pause, she said angrily, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll talk to her myself. I¡¯ll ensure she leaves Ember Creek High School!¡±


    Joseph calmly told her, ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t.¡±


    Nancy scoffed coldly. ¡°I doubt she¡¯d dare touch a teacher.<b>¡±</b>


    After finishing speaking, she ignored everyone¡¯s attempts to stop her and went straight to ss 18.


    It was John¡¯s ss. Nancy didn¡¯t care if they were in the middle of a lesson. She pushed the <b>door </b>open and entered.


    She walked up to the <b>teacher¡¯s </b>desk and looked coldly at John. ¡°Mr. Everton, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt.¡±


    John frowned and said, ¡°Ms. <b>Hanson</b>, can this wait until after ss? The 12th grade is already under a lot of pressure, you know?¡±


    Nancy sneered and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the point of studying with the grades in your ss? How many of <b>you </b>can even get into college?i


    Her words angered the students of ss 18.


    ¡°What? What do you mean we¡¯re not studying? We¡¯re all working !


    ¡°Exactly! it¡¯s not guaranteed that all of ss 1 will get into <b>college</b>!


    The students of ss 18 red at her resentfully, wanting to kick Nancy out. But no student at Ember Creek High School dared to disrespect a teacher.


    <b>Nancy </b>ignored the other students <b>and </b>addressed Lily directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to inform Lily in your ss that her recent actions have significantly impacted the students in our honors ss. On behalf of all the teachers in the 12th grade, 1 request that you withdraw immediately<b>.</b>¡±


    John angrily mmed the textbook on the table. ¡°You can¡¯t speak for me! The school hasn¡¯t decided on this matter yet, so you can¡¯t just make her leave. I believe Lily had her


    trasons<b>.</b>¡±


    John knew about Heather and Alexis¡¯s history of bullying. He had tried to intervene before, but they didn¡¯t listen to him. Eventually, he gave up trying


    Though he didn¡¯t understand why Lily had fought with them this time, he could tell she wasn¡¯t the type to pick fights for no reason.


    ¡°Your opinion doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Nancy said coldly, looking at him. ¡°For the well¨Cbeing of our students, she must leave Ember Creek High School¡±


    Lily, who was sitting in the back row, lifted her head, her eyes gleaming with coldness. <b>She </b><b>stood </b>up and stared directly at Nancy


    ¡°So, Ms. Hanson, you care so much about <b>students</b>¡± well¨Cbeing?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mincy replied.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do anything about Poppy and Bobby being bullied by their ssmates for so long? Lily asked, hands in her pockets<b>, </b>looking at Nancy indiferently.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    <b>1/1</b>


    Chapter


    Nancy froze, taking a while to process Lily¡¯s words.


    After a moment, she calmed down and angrily replied, ¡°What are you talking about? They never said they were bullied.¡±


    Lily sneered and replied, ¡°Is <b>it </b>because they didn¡¯t speak up, or because you knew but chose not to acth


    Suddenly, her gaze turned cold, piercing through Nancy sharply. Nancy was scared and took a nervous step back.


    After a moment, she leaned on the desk, her face pale, ¡°You assaulted your ssmates and now you¡¯re ming others. Leave Ember Creek High School now. We don¡¯t want people like you here.¡±


    Once Nancy <b>had </b>finished speaking, the students in ss 18 became angry. They stood up, banging on the desks.


    ¡°Who are you to kick Lily out? She¡¯s not like Heather, who bullies ssmates all the time, Lily is trying to make <b>the </b>school better,¡± they said.


    ¡°Exactly! Many students in our ss have been bullied by Heather for a long time. She constantly picks fights with them. Why didn¡¯t the school do anything about her?¡±


    The students of ss 18 argued back, and <b>Nancy¡¯s </b>expression changed.


    ¡°Rebels!¡± Nancy pointed at the students angrily. ¡°You¡¯re all worthless. <b>You </b>tell nothing but lies. I don¡¯t know about Heather¡¯s behavior, but I do know she ranks fifth in your year. If what <b>you¡¯re </b>saying is true, how could she have such good grades?¡±


    Nancy looked at them disdainfully. ¡°It¡¯s you guys who are always fighting and causing trouble for our students. You must be teaming up with Lily to bully Heather.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Jan suddenly stood up, ring at Nancy.


    Nancy replied, ¡°If you im Heather ballies ssmates, show me the evidence. If there¡¯s proof, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    Lily lowered her eyes, calmly watching Nancy. After a long while, she smiled. ¡°Evidence?¡±


    She took out her phone and opened the school website, which <b>she </b>had blocked ess to others.


    She handed the phone to Nancy. ¡°Thave all the details Ms, Hanson, Take your time to look. Remember to return my phone when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Nancy looked at the contents of the post, and her face turned pale


    She truly didn¡¯t know about Heather¡¯s actions. She just disliked Lily and believed this incident had harmed ss 1¡¯s students psychologically, motivating her to act. However<b>, </b>after seeing the photos of Poppy on the school website, as well as videos of Heather and Alexis confessing, Nancy¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. Just moments ago, she had been <b>so </b>confident. But now, she felt like disappearing. Losing herposure, she angrily handed the phone back to Lily.


    ¡°So what? Who knows if this evidence is real? I¡¯ll <b>confirm </b>it with the principal.


    Awkwardly, she turned around and walked to the ssroom door. Suddenly, she stopped and looked back at the students of ss 18 disdainfully.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I warn you, ss 18, stop bothering students from our ss. You¡¯re all pathetic and shouldn¡¯t influence good students.¡±


    Hearing this, the students of ss 18 looked grim, and even the usually gentle John¡¯s expression burned cold. However, to avoid trouble, he didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    Lily squinted at Nancy <b>as </b>she left, her expression Indifferent.


    At the same time, the Maynard family¡­

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Anthony stormed home<b>, </b>radiating anger. <b>¡°</b>Who dares toy a hand on my daughter?*


    Anthony lived a dangerous life and always intimidated others.


    His subordinate backed away and whispered to Anthony, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Maynard¡¯s ssmate. There wasn¡¯t a major conflict, but Ms. Maynard disciplined a female student, and <b>that </b>ssmate broke Ms. Maynard¡¯s hands and feet.¡±


    Anthony¡¯s voice turned icy as he <b>asked</b>, ¡°Have you investigated her background?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the subordinate answered. ¡°She¡¯s Lily, the stepdaughter of the Martinez family. She was raised in the countryside and recently brought back.


    ¡°Rumor has it she¡¯s being prepared to marry into the Martinez family, but she doesn¡¯t have much of a background herself. However, her fianc¨¦ is someone we can¡¯t mess <b>with</b>.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Anthony asked seriously.


    After so many years in Lagersfield City, Anthony was used to people fearing and respecting him. He could handle most people


    ¡°Bridgeport, the heir of the Laurier family.¡±


    Anthony tensed up and said, ¡°He¡¯s not someone to mess with. Spare Lily¡¯s life this time. Teach her a lesson by breaking her hands and feet.¡±


    The subordinate hesitated. ¡°I think we should consider our approach carefully, I heard that Lily injured the leg of the Dalton family heir before.


    ¡°But in the end, nothing happened to her, and the head of the Dalton family even apologized. They couldn¡¯t do anything to her.¡± ¡°Vannick is a coward and a disgrace to all men. No one has ever dared to challenge me before. I won¡¯t let my daughter suffer for nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show respect to the Laurier family this time and spare Lily¡¯s life. But if they <b>don¡¯t </b>behave, rll <b>deal </b>with them too.¡±


    Anthony was used to danger and was never afraid of <b>a </b>challenge. Although the Laurier family was powerful, Anthony wasn¡¯t someone to underestimate.


    Seeing that Anthony had made his decision, the subordinate remained silent.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    At the same time, the Armstrong family


    Upon hearing the news, the Armstrong family head hurried back.


    Without asking about Alexis¡¯s injury, he pped her and yelled, ¡°How many times have I warned you not to mess with Lily? Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡±


    Alexis cried, feeling aggrieved. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m your daughter. I¡¯ve been hurt like this, but instead of helping me, you¡¯re hitting <b>me</b>?¡±


    Mrs. Armstrong stood in front of Alexis. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t me her. She¡¯s just <b>a </b>child. But <b>regardless</b>, her ssmate shouldn¡¯t have broken her <b>hands </b>and teet


    ¡°Last time you said you wouldn¡¯t pursue it, but this time we can¡¯t ignore it. You need to go to the school and ask for an exnation.¡±


    ¡°What exnation? The head of the Armstrong family was angry. ¡°Do you think I would just stand by if this could be easily resolved?¡±


    When Alexis got her hands broken, the head of the Armstrong family was having dinner with a powerful figure in Lagerstield City, Maxwell.


    It was difficult to meet Marwell. Arranging the meeting <b>took </b>a long time, and it was only because of an important cooperation that he agreed.


    However, soon after they sat down, he received a call saying Alexis had her hands broken by a girl named Lily


    The head of the Armstrong family was about to leave to deal with it when Maxwell casually advised, ¡°For the sake of our cooperation, I suggest you let this go. You can¡¯t handle her.


    He naturally understood the situation. So, he dropped the matter and warned Alexis not to provoke Lily again


    But today, Alexis got into trouble again. The head of the Armstrong family was frustrated by his daughter¡¯s actions.


    After hesitating for a while, he suddenly made <b>a </b><b>decision</b>. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to change schools. You can¡¯t stay at Ember Creek High School anymore.¡±

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Creek High <b>School </b>finally announced the disciplinary action for Lily¡¯s assault on her ssmates.


    The Head of Student Affairs announced over the inte, ¡°Heather, Alexis, and ten other students were engaged in bullying, which is despicable and reflects poorly on their character. As a consequence, the school has issued the following punishments


    ¡°Heather and Alexis will get major disciplinary marks on their records, while the other students involved will receive minor marks. We hope all students will learn from this.¡±


    The entire school was in an <b>uproar</b>.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    In ss 1, Shannon gripped her pen tightly, scribbling forcefully in her notebook. She tore the pages apart with her strong grip. Her eyes were cold and ring, her teeth grinding audibly


    Why? Lily hadmitted a serious offense, but the school didn¡¯t punish her.


    Shannon didn¡¯t believe the principal¡¯s <b>actions </b><b>were </b>out of respect for Lily. She suspected Laid was intervening on Lily¡¯s behalf.


    She was furious. She couldn¡¯t understand <b>what </b><b>was </b>so special about Lily. Plus, why would Loid go to such lengths for her?


    Despite her poor academic performance, her tendency to start tights, her arrogance, and her cruel methods, Lold didn¡¯t seem to care. Did he really like Lily that much?


    Shannon ripped pages out of her notebook <b>angrily</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>the hatred in her eyes grew stronger.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you take Loid from me! I definitely won¡¯t!¡± She was determined.


    ss 18.


    At noon, Lily didn¡¯t join Anya and the others for lunch. She put on a baseball cap and went to a restaurant outside of school.


    La Luna Rossa was a rtively high¨Cend restaurant in Lagersfield City. Lily went in and quoted a room number. Then, a walter escorted her to the private room.


    When the door was pushed open, <b>a </b><b>man </b>in his fifties saw her and stood up. He greeted her with a gentle smile.


    <b>¡°</b>Ms. Brooks


    ¡°Marwell, just call me Lily, Lily <b>said</b><b>, </b>sitting across from the man. She ced her baseball cap on the table.


    She nced at the well¨Cdressed man in front of her. He had <b>handsome </b>features and a charming demeanor. Despite being in his fifties, he showed no signs of aging However, his eyes had a <b>sharp </b>edge. He excoded authority, though he toned it down in front <b>of </b>Lily. He was the true power holder in Lagersfield City, Maxwell Lane.


    In terms of assets, the Lane family could notpare to the Fletcher or Martinez familles, but Maxwell Lane was still the boss of Lagersfield City. Even Anthony didn¡¯t dare to underestimate them.


    Lily looked away and leaned back in her chair. She spoke slowly, ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss Bobby and Poppy¡±


    Maxwell filled Lily¡¯s cup with tea and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they are safe and well taken care of at my ce.¡±


    Lily nced at him and handed her phone to Maxwell ¡°Take <b>a </b>look at this first¡±


    As Maxwell took the phone, his face changed dramatically. He stood up abruptly, shocked. ¡°How could this happen?¡±¡±


    ¡°Maxwell, you¡¯re busy with your business, and you might not have time for family matters¡± Lily <b>said</b>, tapping the table with one hand. Her tone was indifferent, but there was a hint of hostility in her eyes.


    ¡°Beatrice suspects they are your illegitimate children and has caused them a lot of trouble. This is not the first time this has happened.¡±


    Lily lifted her eyelids slightly, her voice somewhat cold. ¡°I¡¯ve handled everyone involved in this matter. As for Beatrice, I¡¯m leaving her to you, Maxwell


    Tentrusted them to you because I believed you would care for them. But now, I can¡¯t let them stay in the Lane family with peace of mind¡±

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    1/1


    Chapter


    Maxwell¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this. But when I return, I¡¯ll give you an exnation. Let them stay with the Lane family for now I can assure you such incidents won¡¯t happen again<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Lily¡¯s lips curled up slightly<b>, </b><b>a </b><b>chilly </b>demeanor on her face in the sunlight. Her exquisite <b>features </b>hinted at icy resolve. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll find them a new ce.¡±


    Maxwell furrowed his eyebrows and pressed. ¡°Where will you arrange for them to go then? You¡¯re still in school and living with the Laurier family.


    ¡°Plus, your grandmother needs care in the hospital. Can you handle taking them in <b>and </b>sorting everything out?¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression shifted slightly as she pressed her lips together, but she stayed silent.


    Seeing her wavering, Maxwell continued, ¡°They should stay with the Lane family. They¡¯ll be safe there, <b>and </b>it¡¯s difficult for you to look after them while managing <b>your </b>matters. I take full responsibility for this oversight and will address it personally when I retum.!!


    After taking <b>a </b>sup of tea, Maxwell nced at Lily. ¡°You entrusted them to me initially because you wanted them to be <b>safe</b><b>, </b>didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Lily remained silent for a while but was finally persuaded by Maxwell. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll rely on you to continue taking care of them. But I don¡¯t want such <b>incidents </b>to happen again.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t! Their parents.¡± Maxwell sighed. ¡°I treat them as my own children,¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Maxwellbreathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Dig in. I¡¯ve ordered your favorite dishes.¡±


    After dinner, Maxwell returned home. Mrs. Lane, who had just finished yoga, <b>was </b>surprised to see Maxwell back <b>so </b>early.


    ¡°Honey, why are you back so early today?¡±


    Maxwell nced at her and took off his suit jacket. Behind him was Beatrice. After finishing dinner with Lily, Maxwell went to Ember Creek High School to pick up Beatrice.


    As soon as Beatrice entered, Maxwell coldlymanded, ¡°Kneel down!¡±


    Beatrice looked at Maxwell in disbelief, ¡°Dad?¡±


    Mrs. Lane became anxious and walked up to Maxwell. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly so angry? Beatrice has always been obedient and sensible. What did she do?¡±


    Shut up! Maxwell snapped at her, his voice low. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your meddling, would she <b>end </b>up be this?¡±


    Maxwell threw a stack of documents at Beatrice. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done. At such a young age, you¡¯re so malicious. What¡¯s to be of you in the future?¡±


    Beatrice quickly understood after seeing the documents. She smirked. ¡°So it¡¯s about these two illegitimate children. Dad, you¡¯ve wronged <b>Mom </b>and me, and now you¡¯re openly bringing them home. Have you even thought about our feelings?


    ¡°So you let people bully them?¡± Maxwell looked hurt.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Beatrice replied, lifting her gaze to meet his. ¡°They took what¡¯s mine, so Twant them to suffer!¡±


    Maxwell pped Beatrice across the face. Beatrice held her face, tears welling up in her eyes.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Did <b>you </b>just <b>hit </b>me?¡°


    ¡°Thit you for being heartless <b>and </b>ungrateful¡± Maxwell yelled. ¡°I¡¯m your father! Don¡¯t you know what <b>kind </b><b>of </b>person I am? Do you think I¡¯d go out and find women? Would I bring illegitimate children home?¡±


    Beatrice was stunned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Their parents saved my life <b>and </b>died for it. Did you think they wanted toe to our family?¡± Maxwell¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°I begged them toe. Do you even know how many people wanted to raise them just to repay the debt? You¡¯ve turned me into an ungrateful person!¡± Maxwell¡¯s face was full of disappointment.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Beatrice fell to the ground.


    ¡°Believe it or not! From now on, I will hire someone to protect their safety. If you dare to do anything to them again, don¡¯t me me for cutting off our father¨Cdaughter rtionship.¡±

 Chapter 115

    Chapter <b>US</b>Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Afterward, the school became much quieter. Heather moved to a different ss, and Alexis left for another school The students who were bullied by them felt relieved and thanked Lily for dealing with Heather.


    After the chaos ended, they returned to a stressful studying environment.


    On this day, Lily joined Anya and others in the cafeteria for lunch.


    ¡°Lily, there¡¯s <b>an </b>uing art festival at school. Some ssmates are nning to put on a street <b>dance </b>performance. Want to join? Anya asked as she chewed.


    <b>Every </b>year, the 12th grade organized an art festival, and each ss had to <b>prepare </b>a performance.


    ss 18¡¯s students weren¡¯t really keen on doing a street dance since ss 1 was already doing it. They were being led by Shannon.


    Shannon was pretty and very popr at school. Comparing themselves to her in street dance would be embarrassing


    ss 18¡¯s students were more into goofing off. Most of themcked musicality and couldn¡¯t sing or perform well in other ways. Street dance seemed like the only option could handle


    Many people liked Lucas, so they often watched his dance videos and learned from him.


    Anya was <b>a </b>big fan of Lucas and had taught herself many of his dances. This time, when nning the performance,n <b>and </b><b>a </b>few others chose to do street dance However, the art festival involved public voting. They didn¡¯t have Shannon¡¯s good looks, so they decided to involve Lily


    Lily had long been a popr figure at Ember Creek High School and was also the school¡¯s beauty <b>queen</b><b>.</b>


    they


    With Lily¡¯s involvement, they wouldn¡¯t lick vores. Plus, even if Lily couldn¡¯t dance well, it wouldn¡¯t matter much since they were performing as a group. As long as they all did decently and followed along, there wouldn¡¯t be any <b>major </b>issues


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Lilyzily declined. She preferred being alone and disliked participating in group activities like this.


    Anya felt a bit disappointed. ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±


    Ian and the others were also disappointed, but they didn¡¯t say much.


    After they inished eating, Anya told Lily, ¡°You should go back to the ssroom first. We¡¯re heading to the dance studio to practice¡±


    Lily thought she had nothing else to do, so she decided, ¡°I¡¯lle with you guys and watch.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t participating, but watching others dance was still fine.


    Ten people were participating in the art festival, all with some basic dance skills. Usually, they only practiced during lunch breaks due to their ss schedule.


    Lily followed them to the dance studio. As Anya turned on the music, the door to the dance studio swing open.


    The students from ss 1, led by Shannon, walked in.


    Shelby stepped forward and nced at the students from ss 18. ¡°<b>This </b>room belongs to us. Please leave


    ¡°This is a <b>public </b>space. When did it be just for <b>ss </b>1?¡± Tan replied coldly


    ¡°We¡¯ve always used this room, and the teacher has allowed it,¡± Shelby said, <b>crossing </b>her arms and giving them a cold look. ¡°Otherwise, do you want to go find the teacher?¡± Ian sneered, ¡°Even if your teacher allowed it, did the principal? I suggest going directly to <b>the </b>principal¡±


    ss 18¡¯s students added<b>, </b>¡°Exactly! You¡¯ve been taking over this room since the start of the year. We rarely get a chance to use it. Today, we finallycame to practice, and you¡¯re causing trouble


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re in the honors <b>ss </b>doesn¡¯t mean you can do whatever you want. Teachers can¡¯t show favoritism just because you¡¯re in the honors ss!¡±


    Shelby smirked, ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re in the honors ss, so the teachers favor us. If you¡¯re not happy, why don¡¯t you try getting <b>into </b>the honors ss too?¡±


    The students from ss 18 were angry but helpless. After all, they couldn¡¯tpete with them academically.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Even if they were the best in their ss, at Ember Creek High School, they could only be ranked two hundredth.


    <b>Anya </b>lowered her gaze and walked up to fan, whispering, ¡°Forget it, we can go practice on the field¡±


    <b>Anya </b>was <b>a </b>skilled dancer, so she was the leader of the dance team. <b>She </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>like causing trouble and thought it best <b>to </b>take a step back. But Ian <b>wasn¡¯t </b>having it


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m reserving this room today. You guys can practice here, and let¡¯s see who dares to make us leave¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Nancy walked in.


    Noticing that the ss 1 students were lingering by the door, she said, ¡°Why are you all just standing there? Get moving and start practicing. The art festival is in three weeks, and we need to win the outstanding ss award ¡±


    The art festival had apetition for outstanding sses, and Nancy aimed to win it all. This <b>time</b>, she was determined to win the outstanding ss award.


    Shannon nced at Lily, who stood quietly nearby, her gaze shifting. She then approached Nancy and whispered, ¡°Ms. Hanson, the ssroom has been taken by the ss 18 students. Let¡¯s wait for them to finish practicing.¡±


    Nancy seemed to just notice the ss 18 students. ¡°What a joke! I got this studio for you. Only our ss can use it!


    Then she turned to the ss 18 students, ¡°do practice elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Why should we?¡± tan angrily retorted. ¡°We¡¯re practicing here!¡±


    ¡°<b>What </b>makes you qualified to practice here? Are your grades in the top 100?¡± Nancy sneered ¡°When you make it into the top 100,e talk to me.¡±


    Last time<b>, </b>she was embarrassed in front of ss 18. Now, she wanted to regain ber dignity.


    Lily, who had been quiet, suddenlyughed. ¡°Ms. Hanson, you mean if all the students in our ss rank in the top 100, you¡¯ll give us the studio and never use it <b>again</b>?¡±


    Nancy¡¯s face darkened as soon as she saw Lily ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make <b>a </b>bet then,¡± Lily said casually with her hands in her pockets and her eyebrows slightly raised.


    ¡°What?¡± Nancy looked at her in confusion.


    H


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet that our ss will rank first in the midterm exams this time, with every student in our ss ranking in the top so,¡± Lily said casually.


    ss 1¡¯s students burst intoughter upon hearing this. Meanwhile<b>, </b>ss 18¡¯s students felt ashamed. Although they were angry with Nancy, they didn¡¯t dare to make such a bet with her.


    The idea of them as the first¨Cranked ss, with every student in the top 50, seemed utterly absurd. It was a bet they couldn¡¯t afford to make


    Nancyughed <b>almost </b>immediately. ¡°Lily, are you out of your mind? Do you want to bet with me on this? ss 1 is the best in the grade. We alwayse first in every exam, and the top five students in the grade are from our ss. What <b>do </b>you have to wager against me?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling annoyed. ¡°Just tell me if you¡¯re betting or not.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Nancy, perhaps provoked by Lily, didn¡¯t hesitate and agreed. ¡°What happens if you lose?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see Lily lose.


    ¡°<b>The </b>loser will clean the toilets and handle school hygiene for a month, and each student from the winning <b>ss </b>will receive a written apology letter,¡± Lily said calmly.


    ¡°okay then!¡± Nancy couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face.


    She was sure she would win. And the ss 18 students all looked miserable. They knew Lily wanted to <b>stand </b>up for them, and they didn¡¯t me her. But.. They were doomed to lose this time!

 Chapter 117

    Chapter <b>17</b>


    <b>Lily </b>left the dance studio and immediately left the school. Soon, word of Lily¡¯s het with Nancy circted among the teachers. Many teachersughed at Lily for being overconfident Only John saw potential in Lily, and his eyes gleaned with <b>confidence</b>.


    Upon hearing the news, ss 18¡¯s students were depressed. However, they quickly regained theirposure.


    ¡°Lily has always been good to <b>us</b>, and this time, she¡¯s standing up for us. We can¡¯t let her down. Even if we don¡¯t win, we still have to aim for good grades,¡± one student said. ¡°But the midterm exams are in two weeks. No matter how much effort we put in, we can¡¯t get good grades¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s just do our best!¡±


    Just as everyone was gearing up to study <b>hard</b>, Lily entered the room. She carried a pile of things. From a distance, no one could see what they were


    Lily ced the items on the teacher¡¯s desk. She then pointed at Emma and <b>said</b>, ¡°Distribute them to everyone.¡±


    Emma paused <b>and </b>then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    As she approached, she realized the items were a stack of materials and practice questions.


    Emma looked puzzled at Lily but didn¡¯t say anything. She simply began distributing the materials and questions to her ssmates


    Holding a piece of chalk, Lily wrote the number twelve on the ckboard with one hand in her pocket. Then, she <b>tossed </b>the <b>chalk </b><b>away</b>.


    She stared at the students of ss 18 and anounced, ¡°Starting today, everyone in ss 18 <b>will </b>live on campus, with no breaks between sses and no weekends.


    ¡°I will review the sybus starting from 9th grade with you until the end of the midterm exams,¡±


    <b>Tan</b>, who was sitting in the back row, Laughed casually. ¡°Lily, I know you don¡¯t want to lose, but you are teaching us? With your grades. you might lead us astray, right?¡±


    Lily gave him a cold, disdainful look.


    Lan shuddered and hastily <b>said</b>, ¡°Uh, I was just joking.¡±


    Lily continued, ¡°I¡¯ll start from the front row.¡±


    During the study period, no teacher was around Lily went directly to the first boy in the front row. He was Julian, the math ss representative


    Julian initially thought to tell Lily he could learn on his own, but her cold attitude made him besitate to speak up.


    Sean leaned over ton and whispered, ¡°Is Lily under too much pressure? Teaching us will only make things worse.¡±


    can research on our own. We have to move <b>up </b>a few ces this time, even if it


    Sean sighed and said nothing more. Ignoring the students¡® discussions, Lily instructed Julian to take out the 9th¨Cgrade textbook.


    Her imposing presence made Juan feel intimidated as he obediently retrieved the textbook


    Lily opened the textbook to the third page, marked a key point, and then pointed to a problem in the distributed materials to exinN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Lily spoke at a moderate pace, providing detailed exnations. Initially, Julian knew only one solution, but after Lily¡¯s exnation, he discovered several correct solutions. without realizing it, Julian was drawn into Lily¡¯s teaching. His grades were decent, and he ranked tenth in the ss. However<b>, </b>Lily¡¯s instructions rified everything for him immediately.


    Once he grasped the fundamentals, the following problems became simpler to solve. The handwritten notes Lily provided wereprehensive.


    In less than half the time of a regr ss, Julian had mastered all of oth¨Cgrade math andprehended it thoroughly. He was amazed.


    In the next hall of the period, Lily¡¯s peace quickened she covered the 10th and 11th¨Cgrade courses together. Surprisingly, Julian <b>kept </b>up with all of it


    The self¨Cstudy period ended quickly Lily stood up, looked at Julian, and calmly <b>said</b>, ¡°You have two days toplete those sets of problems. No copying answers, and leave nks if you don¡¯t know how to sobe them.¡±


    vkay ¡° Julian was now in awe of her, unable to say anything else.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Lily went to her next ss after that Like Julian, she taught them three years<b>¡® </b>worth of mathematics before asking them with worksheets.


    The first few questions were easy enough and were mostly foundational questions<b>, </b><b>so </b>Lily didn¡¯t need to do much exining. However, as they got further into the lesson, Lily gradually became more frustrated.


    ss 18 wasn¡¯t very academically gifted. Lily had to spend more time teaching those who were behind in their studies.


    <b>She </b>spent the entire day with them, not even stopping when school let out for the evening. When she finally finished, it was already <b>8:00</b>p.m.


    She knew that Loid was waiting for her at the entrance of the school, <b>so </b>she headed home first


    But before she left, she told Anya to supervise the ss as they finished up their worksheets. She didn¡¯t want them to copy off of <b>each </b><b>other</b>. Anya was pretty much worshipping Lily at this point


    Other students might have doubted Lily¡¯s knowledge, but Anya knew for a fact that everything Lily taught them was correct.


    In fact, her teaching methods were so much better than the teachers¡®¨Cbetter than John¡¯s in fact. Anya could easily understand concepts that previously eluded her thanks to Lily¡¯s exnations.


    Lily <b>hadn¡¯t </b>stuck to theories only. She consolidated the key points of the lesson and demonstrated the theories through practical application. Alter understanding how it worked, It would be easier to understand the theory itself.


    Anya was quickly realizing that her ssmate wasn¡¯t a bad student. In fact, <b>Lily </b>was the best student in <b>the </b>school.


    Lily saw Loid waiting at the entrance of Ember Creek High School as soon as she came out. He was holding a lit cigarette. The moonlight elongated his shadow.


    When he saw her, Lold stubbed out his cigarette and pulled her into his arms. ¡°You¡¯rete today.¡±


    Ever since the doctor told him that Lily had a weak immune system and thus felt <b>cold </b>easily, he made it a point to hug her whenever he got the chance,


    He imed that he was trying to warm her up, but actually, he just wanted a reason to hug her so that she would feel dependent on him. Lily was indeed dependent on him.


    She always felt warmer when <b>she </b>was with him. She really enjoyed the warmth he gave her when he was hugging her or holding her <b>hand</b>.


    ¡°I had to give my ssmates some extra sses,¡± she sud tiredly.


    Then do you want to have dinner outside, or would you rather go home? <b>Lold </b>asked. His heart ached when he saw the exhaustion on her face.


    Lily did not like eating out, but she also <b>really </b>didn¡¯t want to deal with Shannon, who was still living with them.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she said, ¡°We¡¯ll <b>eat </b>out.¡±


    When she got into the car<b>, </b>she saw that shaun was present too. He looked preupied, and his usual cheeky smile was nowhere to be seen. Lily did not bother him out of his thoughts.


    She was craving spicy food, so Loid told Daniel to bring them <b>to </b>a Mahican diser<b>. </b>Shaun wasn¡¯t in a good mood, so <b>he </b>ordered some beer too.


    Normally, Lily would be the one ordering beer. It <b>was </b>rare to see Shaun ordering alcohol. She raised an eyebrow. Shaun <b>was </b>acting strange today.


    The waiter brought the beer over. Lily grabbed one and cracked it open naturally. Before she could take <b>a </b>sip, Lold took the can out of her hands and handed her a warm mug of tra <b>Instead</b>


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re not allowed to have alcohol¡±


    Lily raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Why not?¡± she asked


    *The doctor <b>said </b>so,¡± Loid replied, cing the opened can far away from her.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about angering <b>her </b>this time. He needed to take drastic measures, or Lily wouldn¡¯t listen to him.N?velDrama.Org content.


    Lily reached out to grab the beer, but Loid stopped her. He grabbed her hand and stuck it in his pocket. ¡°Doctors shouldn¡¯t self¨Cdiagnose.¡± Lily had noeback to that

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    In the end, Ully did not insist on having alcohol. She knew that her health didn¡¯t allow her to have much alcohol.


    Before this, she never really cared much about her body. A little difort wouldn¡¯t bother her¨Cshe¡¯d experienced worse before. It felt strange having someone who cared more about her than she did herself.


    Halfway through the meal, Lily realized that Shaun hadn¡¯t said anything for a <b>long </b>time. She raised her eyebrows in surprise


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± she asked Loid.


    Loid served her a bowl of stew. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with his brain¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°I guessed as much.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s lips twitched. These two were really something else. The rest of the meal proceeded in silence.


    After the meal, while Daniel was settling their bill at the counter, Lily remembered something. She looked over at Loid.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t <b>you </b>say you needed me to help a patient?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t asked <b>before </b>because she thought Lold would inform her once he had everything arranged


    However, <b>it </b><b>had </b>been a week since he¡¯d told her about the patient. As he hadn¡¯t said anything yet, she decided to take the initiative.


    ording to Elliot, the Weiss family¡¯s funds wouldn¡¯tst much longer. They would probably be holding an auction soon, so she needed to pick up her pace at earning money.


    Shaun¡¯s head shot up immediately, his eyes bright. Before he could say anything, <b>Loid </b>shot him an odd look. He lowered his head, dejected.


    Lily raised her eyebrows <b>as </b>she looked at Shaun with interest ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Shaun nced at Lold ¡°No, nothing.¡± he said glomly


    Loid poured a ss of warm water for Lily ¡°Just focus on your studies for now. All that can wait until you¡¯re on break¡±


    Lily shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine I should take a look at the patient first¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shaun broke out into a bright smile. ¡°You heard what Llly said, <b>Loid</b>. Just let her take a look.¡±


    Loid gave <b>him </b>a cold nce. Shaun shuddered and fell silent. But after a moment of silence, Loid nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll arrange the meeting for this weekend.¡±


    Shaon felt relieved to hear that. Lily had no objections to that either. After Daniel paid the bill, they went back home.


    Shannon was still awake when they arrived at Anmer Heights. Lily was speechless. She didn¡¯t even look at Shannon. She simply turned to Loid and <b>said</b>, ¡°I¡¯m going up¡±


    ¡°Me <b>too</b>.¡±


    Neither of them paid any attention to Shannon. Shannon <b>was </b>frustrated.


    After setting up Loid¡¯s medicated bath and giving him some acupuncture treatment, Lily got ready to go back to her room to sleep. However, Loid called her to his room.


    He gave her a stack of worksheets and said gravely, ¡°My mom told me to supervise your <b>studies</b>, so you¡¯re going to do one worksheet every day. You can ask me if you need help¡±


    Lily was speechless. She really wanted to ignore his instructions.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b>get upset. This is for your future,¡± Lold said. He pulled out a chair and handed her a pen.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Lily felt a headacheing on as she stared at the worksheet before her, her head in her <b>hands</b>. Eventually, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of this.¡±


    Loid frowned. ¡°None of it?¡±


    Lily just stared at him without saying anything. Exasperated, Loid pulled out another chair and sat across the table from her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from scratch then ¡±


    Lily was speechless once <b>again</b>. <b>Fine</b>. She might as well see how good the top student of the University of Bridgeport was.


    Whenever Loid put this mind to a matter, he seemed to glow with elegance and authority. It was hard to look away from him when he was in the zone.


    Lily stared at him as the light illuminated his side profile, casting highlights over his perfect features. As she stared at his lips, her heart skipped a beat.


    Loid turned slightly and caught her staring at him with bright eyes. His movements stopped as he, too, got distracted. After a moment, he came back to his senses and smirked at LilyN?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°What you see?¡±


    Lily was pulled back to reality by his voice. She smiled when she saw the amusement in his eyes.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    ¡°Would you consider being my girlfriend then?¡± Loid asked with a smile.


    In the beginning, Lily <b>had </b>only agreed to get engaged to him because she wanted to investigate what happened to Jason


    But now that she knew what happened, their <b>rtionship </b>had changed too, even though Lily had always nned to leave him. But letting her go was <b>a </b>different matter altogether.


    Lily propped her chin up with a hand and stared at himidly. ¡°Imight¡±


    He was pretty good to her. Like Julia, he indulged her unconditionally and supported her in everything she wanted to do. Most importantly, he was easy on the eyes, and she <b>did </b>Like having some eye candy around.


    Loid did not expect her to agree so easily<b>, </b>so he was stunned. ¡°Really? You would?


    ¡°Let¡¯s <b>put </b>you under observation for a few days,¡± Lily said slowly.


    Loid was speechless. Why did he have to say that? What was wrong with him?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think observation is necessary. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be a great boyfriend,¡± he said softly, taking Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°I can be your heater too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not wrong.¡± Lily nodded.


    Loid immediately brightened, beaming. ¡°So, you agree to be my girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±¡±


    Loid was at a loss for words. Lily was sleepy now. She was in no mood to listen to Loid¡¯s lectures, so she went straight to his bed, took off her shoes, and got under the covers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping here tonight.¡±


    It had been a cold few days. Hence, Lily had been feeling unwell, and her body was constantly cold. However, she felt better when Loid held her that night while she slept. Lold wanted to make her finish the worksheet before going to bed, but Lily¡¯s actions made him forget about all his principles,


    He took off his jacket and got into bed as well, pulling her into his arms. He had no intention of doing anything else. Lily was still young, after all. <b>They </b>just fell asleep in each


    other¡¯s arms.


    However, Lily¡¯s hands did not stay in one ce the whole night, which meant that Loid had a tense night.


    The next morning, Lily woke up unusually early. Even Loid was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lily mumbled as she brushed her teeth. Tve got recement sses ¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Loid nodded. ¡°Yeah<b>, </b>you should be up early then.¡±


    After getting ready, they went out of the room together. As soon as the door opened, they saw Shannon standing outside their door.


    She stiffened when she saw Lily and Loiding out of the room together. Her face paled. ¡°Did you¡­ did you two<b>¡­</b><b>!!</b>


    They were sleeping togetherst night. Did that mean that they¡­ had sex? No! How could they? Loid was hers. Why did Lily have to take <b>him </b>away from her? Shannon was breaking down on the inside.


    Lold frowned at her. ¡°Ms. Martine, haven¡¯t I told you not to wander around the <b>house</b>?¡±


    Shannon was ring at Lily hatefully. She hadn¡¯t heard a <b>word </b>of what Lold had said.


    Lold¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at Shannon coldly. ¡°Ms. Martinez<b>!</b>¡±


    Shannon snapped back to her senses when she heard that, ¡°S¨C<b>Sorry</b>, I just wanted to give Lily these worksheets. I just bought them.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need them,¡± Loid said darkly, his tone as cold as ice. ¡°This is a final reminder. Do note upstairs, or you¡¯re going home this instance.¡±


    This was the first time Shannon had seen Loid lose his temper. She teared up immediately. ¡°1. I didn¡¯t mean to do it on purpose! I won¡¯te up anymore!¡±


    Loid ipared her tears and left with Lily. Thanks to Shannon, he was no longer in the mood to have breakfast at home, so he brought Lily out for breakfast before sending her to

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Under Lily¡¯s guidance and encouragement, the students of ss 18 were deeply engrossed in their studies. Even the recement teachers were shocked.


    In just a few days, they found that ss 18¡¯s results had improved a lot. And it <b>wasn¡¯t </b>just one person¨Cthe entire ss had improved collectively.


    John was d to see his students working so hard. Lily had had a busy few days too. She taught every one of her ssmates individually in every subject throughout the entire


    werk


    That afternoon, during the self¨Cstudy session, Lily went up to the podium and banged on the table a few times, silencing the ss.


    The students of ss 18 were all in awe of her. No one dared to oppose her. The ss fell silent immediately


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a break tonight. Let¡¯s go see a concert.¡±


    <b>As </b>soon as she finished speaking, the ss <b>broke </b>out <b>in </b>cheers.


    <b>¡°</b><b>All </b>hail Lily!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome<b>, </b>Lily! I thought you¡¯d forgotten about the concert. 1 was disappointed for a while!¡±


    Ian¡¯s results had also improved a lottely. He¡¯d just finished several worksheets with an <b>average </b>score <b>of </b>70% Even though it wasn¡¯t as <b>good </b>as the top students, it <b>was </b>still much better than what he used to get, and he was grateful for that


    <b>He </b>admired Lily for what she¡¯d done for him. When he heard that they <b>got </b>to go to the concert, he was excited.


    ¡°Are youing with <b>us</b><b>, </b>Lily?¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°I am.¡±


    After sses ended<b>, </b>Lily told fan to <b>book </b>them a bus for the dorm students. The non¨Cresidents had the choice of taking the bus or going to the concert venue on their own.


    Poppy and Bobby decided to take the bus to the <b>concert</b>. Lily did not take the bus, and Loid and Shaun came to pick her up.


    Shaun was a fan of Lucas too, so he was excited. ¡°I hadn¡¯t clocked you as a fan, Lily! You¡¯re always <b>so </b>cold and stoic, I didn¡¯t think you Eked anything¡±


    Lily was texting on her phone. When she heard that, she looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m not his fan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t Ee. You look happy. You can¡¯t convince me that you¡¯re not Lucas¡® fan.¡±


    Shaun clearly did not believe her. Now that he had spent enough time with <b>her</b><b>, </b>he realized that Lily could be unexpectedly deadpan when she joked.


    Lily was speechless. Happy? In which universe did she look happy?


    Sham did not notice her expression. ¡°Lucas is pretty good¨Clooking,¡± he continued. ¡°He¡¯s a good dancer too. I¡¯ve always wanted to go to his concert, but I never got a chance.¡±


    Lily nodded distractedly. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s bot¡±


    There had to be a reason why Lucas was as famous as he was. Apart from his talent, his looks were also a major source of attraction for his fans.


    Loid, who¡¯d been silent the entire time, darkened upon hearing that ¡°Is he hotter than me?¡± he asked lowly.


    Taken aback, Lily nced at him. ¡°I think.. yeah, he is.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Loid stiffened. ¡°We¡¯re not going to the <b>concert </b>anymore. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    He refused to allow some random pretty boy <b>to </b>seduce his wife.


    Shaun got offended immediately. ¡°What the fuck? <b>Loid</b>, you can¡¯t be that heartless. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to get that ticket, you know? We¡¯re almost there anyway!¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to challenge me? Lold¡¯s <b>eyes </b>shed dangerously.


    Not only was he losing his wife to that floozy, but he was losing his best friend too! He was going to find a <b>way </b>to make <b>things </b>hard for this Lucas guy.


    ¡°1..¡± <b>Shaun </b>looked dejected. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Loid.¡±


    He turned to Lay glumily. ¡°Why did you have to praise some other guy<b>, </b>Lily? Do you know Loid¡¯s turned into a jealous bitch since you came into his life? Look at this now! We can¡¯t even attend <b>the </b>concert!¡±


    Lily put her phone aside and nced at Loid with a slight smile. ¡°I <b>mean</b>, after a better look, I think you¡¯re hotter than him.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t all that interested in the concert, actually

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    However, Lily needed to go to this concert tonight. She had something to attend to.


    ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll go.¡± Loid raised his eyebrows. There was clear amusement in his eyes


    He had no principles at all<b>, </b><b>it </b>seemed.


    Shaun gave Lily a thumbs <b>up</b><b>. </b>¡°You¡¯re good!¡±


    Soon, they arrived at the stadium. A lot of people were attending the concert, so the stadium was packed even before the doors opened.


    Shan had gotten his tickets from an unknown source, so their seats were in the fourth row.


    At first, Luy thought about giving him her first¨Crow tickets. But on second thought, she decided against it. She didn¡¯t want to attract any attention sitting in the first row <b>a </b>The fourth row was good enough.


    Finally, the concert started. Lucas emerged wearing a ck tuxedo. His movements were graceful and exuded noblesse. When he appeared on stage, the audience went wild screaming


    Lold and Lily were probably the only ones who were unfazed


    Halfway through the <b>concert</b>, Lucas left the stage, leaving his guest stars to entertain the audience.


    Lily looked up. She lowered her voice and said to Loid, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±


    Loid nodded. In a darker backstage, Lily pulled the rim of her cap down to cover her face. It was fairly dark, so her face was properly covered.


    Just then, a man approached her and handed her a stic bag. He looked excited. ¡°The stuff you asked for is in here.¡±


    The man was Lucas. He had hurried over after receiving Lily¡¯s text. He looked at her briefly. He hadn¡¯t seen her for some time, but she was still as cold and impassive as ever. It was as if nothing ever interested her.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Pursing his lips, he said, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting should I tell the others? We could get dinner or something. It¡¯s been some time since we got together.¡±


    Holding the stic bag, Lily lowered her eyes. ¡°No need. I¡¯m busy. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Are you really noting back? We¡¯re all waiting for you,<b>¡± </b>Lucas called out hurriedly. ¡°They really want to meet <b>you</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going back. I need to focus on school now.¡± Lily stuck one hand in her pocket


    The dim light from outside filtered into theirer, <b>casting </b>a shadow over her and making her look even more fragile than usual


    Lucas¡® heart ached for her, but he respected her decision. ¡°Alright then just say the word when you¡¯re ready toe back. We¡¯ll keep your position for you.¡±


    Lily smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Find someone to rece me I won¡¯t go <b>back</b>.¡±


    <b>Pulling </b>the rim of her cap down again, she burned and left without any hesitation.


    Behind her, Ian was watching the scene unfold with wide eyes


    He had been heading to the bathroom when he saw Lily going backstage. He¡¯d thought that she had taken a wrong turn somehow, so he went after her, worried that the staff would tell her off.


    But what he saw shocked him.


    Lily saw him too. She handed the bag to <bn</b>. ¡°Give this to the <b>ss</b>.


    fan took the bag, still looking confused. ¡°Was that Lily, was that Lucas?¡±


    ¡°yeal.¡± Lily smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone¡±


    With that, she left. Tan stood rooted on the spot for some time beforeing back to his senses.


    He stared at where Lily had disappeared around the corner. Now he knew how Lily had gotten two tickets each for every student in ss 18 so easily.


    She knew Lucas, so his concert tickets were a guarantee. Thinking of this, he opened the stic bag and checked its contents. He was shocked at what he saw. Fuck! Locas¡± autograph!


    Itis ssinates were going to freak out when he gave this to them!

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    After the concert, Lily went home with Loid whilen and the rest of ss 18 prepared to go back to school.


    At the entrance of the stadium,n stopped his ssmates and took out one of the autographs from the stic bag. ¡°Lily told me to give you guys this. It¡¯s Lucas¡® autograph!¡±


    Screams erupted from the group.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Am I dreaming? This really is Lucas¡¯s autograph!¡±


    ¡°I love you, Lily<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>


    Some of <b>the </b>other people trickling out of the vence stopped to stare at themation. When they saw fan holding Lucas¡¯s autograph, they went wild. They crowded around Jan <b>and </b>began moring for his attention.


    ¡°<b>Can </b>you give me that autograph? I¡¯ll pay you anything you want!¡± someone offered.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ian declined politely. ¡°We only have one for each of us. We¡¯re not selling them.¡±


    The crowd was disappointed. At the same time, when they heard that all the students of ss 18 were getting <b>a </b>copy of the autograph, they looked envious.


    After distributing the autographs amongst his ssmates, tan said loudly, ¡°We have to repay Lily for what she¡¯s done for us.


    ¡°Even though <b>she </b>hadn¡¯t asked us to go back to school to continue studying tonight, I suggest that we do so. Let¡¯s all go back <b>to </b>school <b>and </b>continue working on our worksheets.¡± ¡°1 agree!¡±


    With that, the students of ss 18 got onto their bus and left.


    The crowd hazarded that Lily was probably their teacher, who had gotten the entire ss autographed photos so that they would work harder at their studies.


    They began looking for Lily. Some even im that they wanted to transfer to the school where Lily was teaching


    Shannon stood at the entrance of the stadiem after the crowd <b>had </b>dispersed with a cold look on her face. Lily had gotten Loid to get her entire ss autographed photos just to get into their good books.


    Lucas¡¯s autograph was notoriously care, but Lily had managed to get so many so easily. Loid really was a powerful man.


    And Lily. She¡¯d only been with him for a little over a month, but she¡¯d already managed to get everyone in ss 18 wrapped around her little finger, no doubt thanks to Loid.


    No. This could not keep happening. She couldn¡¯t stand around and wait any longer.


    Shannon did not return to Anmer Heights that night, but Lily and Loid did not question it. In <b>fact</b>, Lily preferred it when she wasn¡¯t around. Shannon¡¯s presence alone annoyed her.


    The next day, Shaun got up bright and early. Lily and Lold were up and about at the same time <b>too</b>. After having a simple breakfast together, they left the house.


    Lilly had agreed to see Lold¡¯s patient today. <b>She </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>know where they were going exactly, only that it was far<b>, </b><b>ording </b>to Loid. She didn¡¯t press further either. She fell asleep not long after they got into the car.


    Her napsted quite some time. Loid only woke her up two hourster.


    Lily opened her eyes and found herself at a small private hospital. She raised her eyebrows and gave Loid a look<b>. </b>¡°<b>Yours</b>?¡±


    Loid was the only person she knew who could set up a private hospital in Lagersfield City.


    Loid nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    His mood seemed down. His lips were pursed, and his tone was dull. ¡°Let¡¯s just go in.¡±


    Lily nced at him but didn¡¯t say anything<b>. </b>She followed Loid and Shaun into the hospital


    A few steps in, Loid stopped suddenly. ¡°Lily,ter, if__¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He¡¯d <b>never </b>said her name <b>so </b>intimately before.


    Lily tend to look at him. ¡°<b>What</b>?¡±


    His voice sounded strange,

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    <b>Loid¡¯s </b>eyes were lowered. After a long moment <b>of </b>silence<b>, </b>he said, ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go!!


    This time, he did not take Lily¡¯s hand. He just continued walking in front of her. From behind, he looked lonely.


    Lily¡¯s eyes shed with pity. After a moment, she followed him into the hospital as if nothing had happened.


    They made their way to a VIP ward. Loid stopped at the door. He held the <b>door </b>handle loosely for a moment before pushing it open


    Lily followed him in. When she entered the room and saw the patient lying on the bed, her pupils contracted. She strode forward, her expression.cold.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Jason Martinez? Frowning, she took his wrist and felt his pulse. Loid¡¯s pupils contracted as well. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists in his pockets.


    ¡°Mindshroud poison? Lily looked up at Loid in surprise. Her expression was <b>grave</b>.


    Loid averted his gaze and nodded. ¡°Yeah. He has a lot more poison in his system than Grandma did<b>, </b>so his condition is worse.


    ¡°Dr. Benedict Aurum, the Supreme Doctor at the research center, helped slow down his cirction and put <b>him </b>in paralysis so that the poison wouldn¡¯t spread too far, but not even he could cure Jason


    ¡°Jason¡¯s health has been worseningtely.


    <ol>


    <li>y. We don¡¯t think he¡¯s going tost much longer. That¡¯s</li>


    </ol>


    s why we need to find a way to cure him.¡±


    Lold hadn¡¯t wanted to ask Lily for help at first. If <b>she </b>could cure the Mindshroud poison, then she would¡¯ve saved Belinda in the first ce. Right now, though, be had no other


    choice


    They had to do something about the poison in Hason¡¯s body, or he would die in seven days.


    Lily¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡°Who did this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she asked trigidly.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Mindshroud wasn¡¯t amon poison. There were only five people in the world who could get their hands on it


    After a quick check, Lily found that the poison in Jason was the same kind that afflicted Bnda<b>. </b>They were both likely poisoned by the same person.


    She¡¯d always known that Belinda¡¯s poisoning wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. At the very least, Belinda wasn¡¯t just a teacher from the <b>rural </b>countryside.


    If the same person really poisoned Jason and Belinda, then Lily would have to pay attention to this matter.


    ¡°It was one of the Hidden Families,¡± Loid said lowly.


    ¡°<b>Which </b>one?¡± Lily asked coldly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet¡±


    He¡¯d used all of his connections to investigate the matter, but his search hadn¡¯t yielded much results. The Hidden Families were too powerful, Normal investigations were useless against them


    anything. Her eyes were cold.


    Lily pursed her lips without saying anythin


    Shaun hesitated for a moment before finally gathering his courage and asking, ¡°I can see you¡¯re concerned about <b>Jason</b>, Lily. The poison is really deep in his veins now. Can you do something about it?


    Lily nced at him, but she didn¡¯t answer. She could control the poison, but it probably wouldn¡¯t help much. The only way to save <b>Jason </b>was to cure the poisonpletely.


    However, she needed Redush for the antidote. There was only one Redushil in the world, and the Weisses owned it. However, the time and date for the <b>Weiss </b>auction hadn¡¯t been decided yet.


    She <b>could </b>control the poison


    poison until she got the Redushil, but Belinda needed it too


    Belinda and Jason were both very important to her. Choosing one over the other would hurt her either way.


    When she didn¡¯t say anything for <b>a </b>while, Shaun began to lose hope. ¡°You can¡¯t help him?¡±


    Lily lowered her gaze. Her hand was still gripping Jason¡¯s. Heid immobile on the bed, devoid of <b>any </b>signs of life. His handsome face was <b>pale</b>, like <b>a </b>corpse¡¯s.


    After a moment of silence, Lily stood up ¡°You guys can head home first. Don¡¯t wait for me¡±


    Loid¡¯s expression changed. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat.


    <b>Shaun </b>nced between the two of them and sighed. ¡°Loid, let¡¯s go. I think she knows how to control the poison.¡±


    After spending so much time with Lily, he knew her well enough. If she wasn¡¯t sure about something, she <b>would </b><b>just </b><b>admit </b>it.


    Loid pursed his lips and nodded. At the <b>door</b><b>, </b>however, he paused and turned back to Lily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Daniel to wait for you outside. He¡¯ll drive <b>you </b>home whenever you <b>need</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Lily hummed in understanding <b>and </b>then fell silent,

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    That night, at the Octobar Pub, Shaun snatched Loid¡¯s drunk, you¡¯re going to ruin your liver.¡±


    drink out of <b>his </b>hands as he said worriedly, ¡°Loid, you¡¯ve had like 30 bottles of beer. You need to stop! Even if you don¡¯t get


    ¡°Give it back,¡± Loid snarled at him. There was a wild look in his eyes.


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>!¡± Shaun hugged the bottle of beer close to his body, refusing to relent. ¡°You¡¯re not fully cured of the poison yet. Even if Lily said you could have alcohol, you shouldn¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    Loid stiffened at the <b>mention </b>of Lily. He leaned back against the couch without saying anything Shaun sighed. He didn¡¯t know what <b>to </b><b>say</b>.


    That morning, they left Jason¡¯s ward<b>, </b>but they didn¡¯t leave the hospital. They <b>had </b>been waiting for her the entire day at the entrance of the hospital.


    Loid wanted to wait for Lily, but she did note out of the hospital the entire day.


    Loid had also called Daniel, Lily hadn¡¯t allowed Daniel to go into the ward, so he didn¡¯t know what was going on either.


    After that, Loid and Shaun went to the Octobar Pub and downed 30 beers in quick session. Loid never liked beer. He only drank it because Lily liked beer.


    Shaun stared at Lold, grabbing his own hair in frustration. He could see that Lold liked Lily. He was worried <b>that </b>Jason was really Lily¡¯s boyfriend. That was why he hadn¡¯t let them see each other before this.


    It was true that Lily treated Jason differently. Shaun had never seen her so concerned about someone before.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that they weren¡¯t just regr siblings. Their rtionship definitely went deeper than that


    They weren¡¯t even rted biologically, so it was still possible for them to fall in love with each other.


    The problem now was that Loid had fallen in love with Lily too. What was shaun going to do about all this?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    After a while, Loid stood up. His gait was sluggish and wobbly due to how much he had drunk <b>Shain </b>quickly stood up to help support him. They left the pub together. Loid went straight to the bathroom as soon as he arrived at Anmer Heights. When he opened the door of the bathroom, he saw Lily in the shower. He was shocked.


    Lily hadn¡¯t expected him to retom home at this time either. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, blushing Duriously.


    Loid stared at her. He could feel his desire running wild in <b>his </b>blood<b>, </b>quickening his breath.


    Lilly was only wearing a towel. Her corbone was exposed, and most of her legs were bare too. Water dripped from her hair, trailing down her skin in the most <b>captivating </b>way. Loid stared at her in a daze, unable to look away. Lily calmed down quickly. When she saw Loid still staring at her, she smiled.


    ¡°Are you going to keep staring at me, Loid?¡±


    Loid was shook back to his senses by her voice. His throat was dry. After a while, he reached out and pulled her in to his arms.


    ¡°I would rather hold you,¡± he <b>said </b>hoarsely.


    Lily hadn¡¯t expected Loid to hug her so suddenly. Her heart began pounding. She felt her face heating up


    In his embrace, <b>she </b><b>could </b>smell a mix of smoke and alcohol on him. The scent was subtle and not overpowering. She looked up at his sculpted features and blinked.


    you drink?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Loid said quietly. He tightened his hold on her. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting home tonight.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.


    Lily was amused. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like I can sleep at the hospital.¡±


    I away, but since


    She¡¯d spent such a long time at the hospital because she was looking <b>for </b>a way to protect his organs while controlling the poison in Jason¡¯s body<b>. </b>She had found a she hadn¡¯t used that acupuncture technique before, she spent a little more time on it,


    It was already 10:00 pm. when she finished everything up. She thought that Loid would be at home, but he was nowhere to be seen when she arrived home. Derdel had told her that both Shaun¡¯s and Loid¡¯s phones were unreachable and that they were both probably busy.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    Ly hadn¡¯t questioned Daniel about it. She just went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. But to her surprise, Loid came home <b>a </b>few minutes after she started her shower.


    <b>¡°</b>You probably want to spend more time with him than with me,¡± he said sourly.


    He rarely showed interest in anything Lily was the only person he¡¯d ever cared about. He had to admit that he was jealous of the way Lily spoke about jason.


    Lily looked up and stared at him for a moment. Then, sheughed<b>. </b>¡°So you got jealous?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Loid said boldly. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to fall in love with another man!¡±


    Lily finally knew why Loid had been acting strange the entire day. Her smile deepened.


    ¡°Did you think that he was my boyfriend?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Loid raised an eyebrow and gave her a displeased look


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you to be so imaginative.¡± Lily pushed him away and met his gaze firmly ¡°We¡¯re siblings. What the hell were you thinking?


    Loid visibly brightened at that. So he¡¯s not your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother!¡± Lily <b>frowned </b>in exasperation. <b>¡°</b>He¡¯s the only person in this world <b>who </b>treated me kindly apart from Grandma.¡±


    She had met <b>Jason </b>ten years ago. She had been nine, and Jason had just turned zo. Lily had just gotten off school that day when she <b>saw </b>Jason waiting for her at the entrance of the school.


    He smiled at her warmly, Under the sunlight, be looked noble and elegant.


    Since then, he would visit her every so often, bringing her and Belinda groceries and other necessities. But it wasn¡¯t like Lily ever needed his help.


    She had already found herself her first job at nine, so Belinda hadn¡¯t needed to worry about money.


    However, Jason¡¯s kindness had brought warmth into her life. She trusted him. Jason was <b>kind </b>to them, but they were no more than siblings


    ¡°Am I not kind to you? Loid asked


    He was relieved. All he really needed to know was that Lily wasn¡¯t in love with Jason.


    Lily smiled. ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re not too bad.¡±


    Loid wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned closer to her ear, his eyes shining with desire. ¡°Let me dry your <b>hair </b>for you.¡±


    The look in his eyes made Lily¡¯s heart skip a beat. She looked away awkwardly. ¡°Sure.<b>¡±</b>


    It had been a tiring day. She was toozy to blow dry her hair anyway, so she wouldn¡¯t tum <b>down </b>some freebor.


    Unfortunately, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t quite control her heart rate. This wasn¡¯t good. Maybe she needed to keep her distance from Loid.


    After everything she had been through, Lily was afraid of associating herself with someone else. Loid was different. She had never felt this way about someone else before. Even though the feeling was vague, it still wasn¡¯t a good thing


    Loid¡¯s movements were gentle as he blow¨Cdried her hair. When his fingers brushed against the back of her neck, Lily felt her heart going wild again.


    After a while, she snapped. ¡°Fuckit!¡±


    She grabbed the hairdryer from Loid and looked at him gravely. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>can do it myself.¡±


    If he kept this up, she might not have been able to hold herself back from jumping him.


    Cold smiled at her. He took the hairdryer back again. ¡°Stay still. We¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    Lily was speechless. The tension in the air was too suffocating Finally, just as they were both about to lose control of their desires, Told finished blowdrying Lily¡¯s hair. Lilly took a deep breath and said, ¡°Stop seducing me, Loid!¡±


    Chapter 127

 Chapter 127

    Chapter <b>127</b>


    Loid smiled. He pulled Lily closer and tousled her hair gently. ¡°Is it working?¡±


    If seducing her worked, then he wouldn¡¯t need to be jealous of other men. He really did not like that feeling


    Lily folded her arms, her eyes twinkling mischievously. ¡°Maybe it is.¡±


    Then, she grabbed a white shirt and went back into the bathroom to get dressed.


    The amusement in Loid¡¯s eyes deepened. Without another word, he left the room and went to the other bathroom to shower.


    Lily was still up when he returned. She was scrolling on her phone, loolding for something. Loid walked closer and nced at her phone.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for Redashil?¡± he asked in surprise.


    Lily looked up. ¡°You know about Redushi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± Loid poured two sses of water and handed one to Lily. ¡°I think the Weiss family has some.¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Yeah. They do.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you looking for Redushil?¡± Loid took a sip from his ss as he sat beside Lily.


    ¡°For the antidote.¡± Lily put away her phone, her spirits down. ¡°I need Redshil to make the antidote for Mindshroud poison. But the Weiss family only has enough for one dose.¡±


    Lold paused. They only had one dose? Did that mean that Lily would only be able to save one person? <b>Was </b>she deliberating between Belinda <b>and </b>Jason?


    Loid nced sideways at her. She was expressionless. There was no sign of dilemma on her face. She had always hidden <b>herself </b>and her emotions well. If only she would show him some weakness¡­


    With that thought, Lold reached out and took her hand. ¡°Save Grandma first,¡± he said gently


    Lily looked at him in surprise.


    Loid smiled. ¡°Everyone thinks Jason is already <b>dead</b>, anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter when you cure him. I believe in you, I know you can keep him alive for a little longer.¡±


    His reassurance touched Lily. <b>For </b>a while, she did not say anything. When she <b>finally </b>came back to her senses, she smiled at him.


    ¡°Thanks¡±


    Her smile was sincere. It was like the sunlight at dawn, bright and warm. Lold¡¯s heart was instantly captured.


    He patted her on the head fondly, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the mid¨Cterm exam season was upon Ember Creek High School.


    Loid sent Lily to school early on the firstday ¡°Good luck,¡± he <b>said </b>to her gently..


    Lily nodded. She took her bag and went inside. Her first exam was anguage exam, which was the easiest subject out of all of them. She only struggled a little with the essay


    portion


    As soon as the bell signaled the start of the exam, Lily wrote furiously on her paper. She finished everything <b>quickly </b>and wrote a long essay for thest part<b>. </b>She turned in her exam paper half an hour after the bell rang.


    Lily was pretty well¨Cknown in <b>school</b>, so when the invigtor saw her turning in her paper early, he shook his head. He figured that Lily was probably going to end up at <b>the </b>bottom of her ss again


    However, when he nced through her paper, <b>he </b>was shocked. How could this be?


    In the afternoon, Lily sat for her Math paper. Again, she turned in her paper early.


    This time, however, she did notplete all of the questions. She only did thest four questions, which were worth 60% of the grade, which was just enough for her to scrape a


    For the next few exams, Lily turned in her papers early as well. After all the exams were done, the teachers sat down to grade the papers.


    In the teachers¡± office<b>, </b>one of the physics teachers, Enid Matthews<b>, </b>sighed as she went through the papers. ¡°These papers were hard. Most of the students weren¡¯t able to answer the questions currently.¡±


    Chapter 120

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    <b>The </b>chemistry teacher, Walter <b>Brown</b>, nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve graded a lot <b>of </b>them, and the highest grade I¡¯ve given out was a 70¡±


    The other teachers were shaking their heads andughing bitterly as well. Their papers were more or less the same. Until now, they still hadn¡¯t seen anyone get more than 70%.


    Enid had already lost confidence in her students after marking their papers. However, she suddenly came across a shocking paper in her <b>stack</b><b>. </b><b>As </b>she went through it, she suddenly stood up, eyes wide


    ¡°Whose¡­ whose paper is this<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    The papers were graded anonymously, so she couldn¡¯t see the names on the papers.


    Walter leaned over <b>and </b>took a peek. <b>¡°</b>Full marks? Is this Bobby Graham¡¯s paper? He¡¯s always been the best student in his grade.¡±


    Enid shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t his handwriting ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. Oh hey,¡± Walter interrupted himself suddenly. ¡°Eve got a paper that got full marks too.¡±


    At the same time, two of thenguage teachers also reported near¨Cperfect scores from one of <b>their </b>respective papers. Math was the only exception


    John finished marking all of his papers without seeing any perfect scores. He took off his reading sses in disappointment.


    ¡°Math¡¯s not an <b>easy </b>subject, it appears.¡±


    Enid nced over at his papers. ¡°Just be d that your average grades are still not too bad. You had quite a lot of As here. A perfect score wouldn¡¯t go amiss¡±


    John was slightly reassured by that. It was true that most students had done well in Math this time. In fact, all of them passed. It was the best result he¡¯d seen ever since he took over the subject


    After that, all the teachers gathered together to report the exam results. Nancy couldn¡¯t wait to see who got the best result in her ss. However, when she opened the papers, she


    was shocked.


    Lily Brooks<b>? </b><b>She </b>was a bad student. How could she have gotten full marks? The other teachers began looking through the papers as well.


    ¡°Mr. Everton, Lily Brooks from your ss <b>got </b><b>a </b>perfect score for her Physics paper!!


    <b>¡°</b>She got full marks for Chemistry tool¡±


    ¡°And for my subject!¡±


    John was shocked. He quickly grabbed the exam reports and scanned them thoroughly. The other teachers were right it really was Lily. She hadn¡¯t disappointed him.


    However, he deted almost immediately, Was Math really that hard? Why did Lily only scrape a pass in Math?


    Nancy was furious when she heard that Lily had gotten perfect scores in almost every subject.


    She mmed her hand on the table and roared, ¡°Mr. Everton, look at what your student has done! She definitely cheated during the exam. You¡¯ve ruled the school¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°Ms. Hanson, watch your mouth!¡± John retorted angrily. ¡°I will not stand for nder upon my <b>student</b>. I believe in her. She would never cheat in an exam<b>.</b>


    Nancy scoffed. ¡°We all know how she is. She¡¯s alwaysest in every subject. How could she have gotten so good overnight? She must have cheated!¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>¡± John¡¯s face was red with anger, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to refute her.


    It was true that Lily¡¯s performance in school had always been subpar


    ¡°We cannot allow this to happen. I¡¯m going to talk to the Head of Student Affairs!¡±


    Nancy wanted to go straight to the principal at first, but she remembered Joseph had sided with Lily before, so she went <b>to </b>Corvina instead


    If she could prove that Lily had cheated, then they could hold a board <b>meeting </b>to discuss how <b>to </b>deal with her. <b>Joseph </b>wouldn¡¯t dare to side with Lily then.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Meanwhile, when John opened the door to ss 15, he found the ss uncharacteristically quiet.


    Hechecked the schedule. They were in self¨Cstudy now. Surprisingly, every student seemed to be studying on their own


    Jolin smiled, gratified Ever since Lily transferred to ss 18, the entire ss had changed. He nced over at the student in question. She was scrolling on her phone.


    Sighing, he said, ¡°Lily, can youe with me?


    Lily looked up. Without saying anything, she followed him out of the ssroom

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    John brought Lily to the Students¡± Affairs office. All the other teachers were there too.


    Corvina was just about to ask Lily for her version of events when Nancy demanded without preamble, ¡°Lily Brooks, did youplete your exams on your


    Lily lowered her head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her voice was cold.


    ¡°Did you cheat?¡± Nancy asked unkindly.


    ¡°No,¡± Lily answered curtly without any emotion in her voice. <b>She </b><b>said </b>nothing else.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Nancy mmed Lily¡¯s exam papers down on the table before her. ¡°It you didn¡¯t cheat, then exin how you got perfect scores in all of these subjects.


    ¡°You know better than we do how bad your previous results were<b>, </b>Lilly. Don¡¯t tell me you just happen to know all of these questions. You can¡¯t be that lucky.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Lily smiled and looked up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t luck. I did know the answers to all of the questions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless!¡± Nancy <b>gave </b>up on her. She then turned to Corvina. ¡°Ms. Frias, you heard her. She definitely cheated during the exam. I hope you will punish her ordingly.¡±


    Corvina felt a headacheing on. On one hand, she had Nancy insisting on justice. But on the other hand, Lily <b>was </b>protected by the principal himself. Damned if she did, damned if she didn¡¯t


    After a moment of thought, Corvina smiled at Lily.


    ¡°Ms. <b>Brooks</b>, as I¡¯m sure you know, we are having <b>a </b>hard time believing in the integrity of your exam results given that you¡¯ve always scored badly on previous tests. I hope you can understand that Is there any way you can prove that you didn¡¯t cheat?!


    Lily stuck her hands in her pocket and gave Corvina an inscrutable look. ¡°How about I retake the exam?¡±


    She¡¯d been expecting a confrontation like this ever since she made up her mind to coach ss 18. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t surprised by this turn of events. She¡¯d just have to waste some time in redoing the exams.


    ¡°Yes! Retake the exam! She has to! Nancy said. She couldn¡¯t wait to expose Lily for the frand that she was. ¡°I¡¯ll set the questions myself this time!¡±


    The other teachers nced around at each other and went out to set a new exam paper for their respective subjects.


    To be honest, they did not believe Lily either. Retaking the exam was probably the best course of action.


    This time, Nancy chose the most difficult questions for the paper. The questions were much harder than in the previous paper. She handed the new paper to Lily.


    ¡°You may begin when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Lily gave her an impassive look. ¡°I can begin now.¡±


    The first part of the paper involved audio clips, so it took longer. The writing part of the paper was much easier.


    Lily new through the exam so quickly that all the teachers saw was her writing furiously without stopping. Lily moved on from question to question before they could even register what was happening.


    25 minutester, she put down her pen and handed the paper back to Nancy. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nancy stared at her in disbelief.


    Did she finish the entire paper in just 25 minutes? Nancy looked through the first <b>page </b>of the paper. All of Lily¡¯s answers were correct. Her expression changed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll mark this right away¡±


    The other teachers waited patiently as she did so. After a while, Nancy straightened up. She stared at the paper in her hand, her expression cycling through several emotions at the


    same time


    Then, she shifted her gaze to Lily<b>. </b>¡°You got full marks¡±


    Upon hearing this, Enid gave Lily another paper. ¡°Do the physics exam now,¡±


    Without saying anything, Lily sat d down and started on the paper. Just like before, she finished a little more than 20 minutester. She¡¯d even spent less time on this than the original mid¨Cterm papers.


    Without <b>any </b>dy, Enid marked the paper on the spot as well. Again, her results were the same.


    ¡°Full marks!


    John¡¯s smile deepened as he watched Lily retake her exams. Of course, <b>he </b>knew that Lily wouldn¡¯t cheat.


    Lily looked around at the teachers gathered <b>around </b>her. <b>¡°</b>Do you need me <b>to </b>retake the Chemistry paper too?<b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    <b>¡°</b><b>No. </b>There¡¯s no need for that. I believe you now. You didn¡¯t cheat,¡± Waller said. Mortified, he left with his new paper.


    Lily really hadn¡¯t cheated. She was just a dark horse finally showing her colors! Having her retake <b>his </b>paper would just embarrass him further, and he had no intention of doing that.


    <b>Corvina </b>was also surprised by the oue, but she soon recollected herself and beamed. ¡°So that¡¯s why!¡±


    That was why Joseph had insisted on keeping Lily in school without question. It was because Lily was a huge asset to the school


    Even though her Math seemed weak, there was still no doubt that she would be able to go to <b>a </b>top university in the future.


    With that thought, Corvina turned to Nancy abruptly <b>and </b>asked coldly, ¡°Do you have any more doubts, Ms. Hansen?¡°.


    Nancy¡¯s face was beet red. She was mortified ¡°N.. no, I have no more doubts.¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± Corvina said coldly, ¡°I will need you to apologize to Lily How could you doubt the integrity of a student like this? This isn¡¯t what a good teacher should do.¡±


    <b>Nancy </b>ground her teeth in anger. She did not want to apologize to a student!


    However, there was nothing she could do, especially with all the other teachers looking on. If she didn¡¯t apologize to Lily, she would probably be cursed behind her back.


    After a long moment of hesitation, she turned to Lily ¡°I¡¯m sorry for jumping to conclusions. My apologies.¡±


    Lily scotted. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t need an apology. Just <b>don¡¯t </b>forget our bet, Ms. Hanson.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Nancy¡¯s expression stiffened. However, she refused <b>to </b>show weakness in front of Lily. ¡°Let¡¯s circle back <b>to </b>that when your ss gets top scores.¡±


    Lily just gave her a cold <b>look </b>before turning away. The next day, the mid¨Cterm exam results were posted on Ember Creek¡¯s public bulletin board.


    All of the students gathered around the board to check their results. Before this, the students of ss 18 dreaded checking their results. This time, however, they were the most excited.


    Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Damn, Lily got second ce in the grade!¡±


    ¡°Anya is Go!!!


    ¡°<b>Ian¡¯s </b>got 25th!¡±


    ¡°ss 18 is the top of the grade by total score!¡±


    Not only ss 18 was shocked by these results, but the other 17 sses were too. In just two weeks, ss 18 had gone from the bottom of the grade to the top. What kind of miracle was this?


    Anya and tan were frozen to the spot. Anya had never imagined that she would manage to get to the fifth spot in the grade rankings. Ian was also shocked by his own results. He¡¯d already known that Lily had faked her bad results when she started teaching them. He knew that she had done that on purpose.


    However, he never expected to get such good results himself. The difference was too stark. He remained dazed for a long moment.


    When he came back to his senses, he said to Anya, ¡°Lily really is one of a <b>kind</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Anya gave him <b>a </b>look. ¡°Quick, look for the others. <b>Don¡¯t </b>forget about Lily¡¯s bet with Ms. Hanson. Our entire ss has to rank 50 or above to win.¡±


    Only then did <b>tan </b>remember the bet. He checked the list and smiled. Everyone in ss 18 managed to get a ranking of <b>50 </b>and above.


    Bobby was first, and Shannon was third. Apart from them, everyone else in ss 1 saw a devastating drop in their exam results.


    In fact, the highest score they got was lower than ss 18¡¯s lowest score,

 Chapter 131

    Chapter131T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The next morning, ss 18 had their first ss with Nancy. Nancy entered the ssroom and began teaching immediately.


    Back in thest row<b>, </b>Lily narrowed her eyes and stood up. ¡°Ms. Hanson<b>, </b><b>aren¡¯t </b>you forgetting something?¡±


    An uneasiness shed through <b>Nanacy¡¯s </b>eyes for a moment. ¡°I pride myself on a good memory. I didn¡¯t forget anything<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve forgotten our ber,¡± Lily said, her eyes Dashing knowingly.


    <b>¡°</b>Are you kidding me?¡± Nancy snorted. ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b><b>a </b>teacher. Why would <b>I </b><b>ce </b>bets with you? Lily Brooks, don¡¯t get cocky just because you got second ce in this exam. I am still your teacher.¡±


    Lily smirked, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re trying to default on your end of the dead.¡±


    Nancy averted her gaze without saying anything.


    Lily smiled coldly. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>fine expected <b>that </b>from you. You have no morals, after all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to us, but don¡¯t think ss 1 will still be able to <b>use </b>the dance studio. If I see anyone from ss 1 in the dance studio, I will beat them up. Please pass the message on to your students, Ms. Handson.¡±


    She then sat back down. She had already expected Nancy to refuse to honor the bet. She wasn¡¯t all that hung up about punishing her anyway. The mortification alone was punishment enough.


    Nancy¡¯s expression stiffened when she heard <b>what </b>Lily said, but she did not argue with her. Even so, ss 18 was unhappy


    . </b>¡°No! We can¡¯t do that! She lost the bet, and we won! Would she have let us default on the bet if we lost?¡±¡±


    ¡°Of course <b>she </b>wouldn¡¯t,¡± <b>Shaun </b>scoffed coldly. ¡°If we had lost, she would¡¯ve been the first to drag us all to clean the toilets.¡±


    The entire ss burst intoughter. Nancy was furious


    ¡°shut up, all of you! I never bet anything with you. Do you have proof?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we do, actually,¡±


    Ian smiled wickedly as he took out his phone and yed a video clip. He¡¯d recorded what happened in the dance studio. Nancy¡¯s expression darkened further.


    ¡°Anything more in your defense, <b>Ms. </b>Hanson? an grinned.


    ¡°<b>You</b><b>!</b>¡± Nancy gritted her teeth, but she was at a loss for words<b>.</b>


    She¡¯d been careless this time. She hadn¡¯t expected Lily to actually be good! Not only that, but she¡¯d also managed to tutor ss 18 until all of them ranked 50 and higher.


    None <b>of </b>the teachers at Ember Creek High School had done that before.


    <b>ss </b>18 was insistent on getting her in trouble, and she had no way of avoiding it


    ¡°If you refuse to keep up your end of the bet, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just post this on the Inte. I think a lot of students will love this,¡± Tan said casually.


    He¡¯d been spending too much time with Lily. Her knavishness seemed to <b>have </b>rubbed <b>off </b>on him. Sometimes, he was eerily simr to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡± Nancy said, unable to keep herposure any longer. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll apologize. I¡¯m sorry for underestimating all of you. You¡¯re all good students.¡±


    dan pot his phone away and sat down. ¡°<b>We </b>ept your apology. Also, don¡¯t forget, Ms. Hanson, every single student in your ss also <b>has </b>to write us an apology letter.¡±


    Nancy red at him viciously. ¡°Eme¡±


    That afternoon, ss 18 received their apology letters from ss 1. Shannon¡¯s face was twisted with rage after she handed off the letters to ss 18. <b>She </b>was so close to losing her mind¡® Lily was driving her insane.


    After working so hard to get to third ce, she didn¡¯t <b>even </b>have the chance to show off her improvement when she saw Lily¡¯s results


    the clear bed her fists rightly, hate burning in her <b>eyes</b>. That wild country girl knew nothing. How did she manage to worm her way to second ce? She even brought all of sa 18 up with her!

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    Why? How could this happen? Shannon had always been the good one, the outstanding student. But she always lost when it came to Lily.


    She¡¯d lost her nce to her, lost her title of beauty queen to her, and even lost her friends to her


    Now, she had lost to her in academics as well. Why did she always win over her? Shannon¡¯s eyes shed coldly. She vowed to get what she lost back from <b>Lily</b>.


    That night, Lold picked up Lily from school and brought her home. They did not have dinner outside. Loid had his personal chef deliver dinner straight to Anmer <b>Heights</b>


    Ever since he found out that Lily had a weak immune system, he had instructed the chef to make more nutritious food.


    Just as they were about to start eating, Shannon returned as well. When she saw Laid at the table with Lily, she approached them with a smile,


    ¡°Loid, Lily, <b>do </b>you mind if teat with you guys? We haven¡¯t shared a meal since I started loving here.¡±


    <b>Loid </b>nced at her. Before he could say anything. Shannon said hurriedly, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m probably a pain in your asses living here. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m moving back home tomorrow. This would be myst meal here. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Lold was silent. He nced over at Lily with a questioning look. Lily gave Shannon a sideways look but did not object.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Shannon smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Lily¡±


    Halfway through the meal, Shannon noticed that both Loid and Lily¡¯s sses were empty. She took the sses and stood up


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get more water for you,


    Loid.¡±


    Loid nodded without saying anything


    After the meal, he suddenly put his head in his hands, frowning. ¡°Why am I feeling dizzy all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Lily was slumped over the table. She could barely hold herself up.


    Shannon smiled maliciously. ¡°Lold, Lily, are you <b>okay</b><b>?</b>¡±


    However, neither of them answered her


    Shannon put down ber fork and went over to <b>Loid</b>. She caressed his face gently, her expression shy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold this against me, Loid. You were the ones who forced me to <b>do </b>this. I love you, but you¡¯d rather be with this wild country girl instead. Leannot let her take what is rightfully mine¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She then let out a coldugh. ¡°You are mine. Once you are mine,


    e, no one can take you away from me!¡±


    With that, she brought Lold upstairs to his room. This was the first time she had entered Loid¡¯s room. His room was simple in decor yet still refined in a minimalistic way. Every pect of the room screamed his name.


    Shannon felt restless. The smile on her lips deepened. Very soon, this <b>man </b>would belong to her. She put him down on the bed <b>and </b>draped herself over him.


    ¡°Laid, you¡¯ll be my first andst,¡± she whispered.


    Just as she was taking off her clothes, the room went dark. Her expression twisted. <b>What </b>was happening? She stood up and went to flick the switch, but the lights weren¡¯t working


    She stomped her foot in frustration. Why did this have to happen now?


    But despite the darkness, Loid¡¯s shadowy figure looked even more captivating. She looked over at <b>him</b>, pursing her lips<b>, </b>and went back to the bed. No matter what happened, she had to sleep with him tonight.


    Without hesitation, she took off her remaining clothes and felt her way over to Loid. She leaned down to kiss him. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and promptly tainted.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter <b>133</b>


    The Eight in the room flickered on. Loid and Lily <b>stared </b>at the unconscious Shannon impassively, their eyes cold.


    ¡°How do you want me to deal with her?¡± Loid pulled Lily into his arms and asked lowly.


    If Lily hadn¡¯t smelled something strange in the water that Shannon <b>had </b>given them and informed him via text, he would¡¯ve fallen for her despicable tricks and ended up sleeping with her.


    Damn the Martinez family! Was this how they taught their children? Shannon was willing to give up her virginity to get what she wanted!


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Lily had never cared about the Martinez family in the first ce. Naturally, she did not care about how Laid would deal with them


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll get Mrs. Goldberg toe pick <b>her </b>up herself.¡±


    Loud called Daniel first before calling falia. An hourter, the entire Martinez family was gathered at Anmer Heights.


    Loid and Lily sat on the couch and stared at them expressionlessly. Neither of them said anything. The look on Loid¡¯s face made Julia¡¯s heart tall.


    Gathering her wits, she nodded politely and asked, ¡°<b>What </b>did you call us here at this time of the night for, Loid?¡±


    Loid picked up the mug on the coffee table and took a sip. ¡°<b>I </b>called you here so that you can bring your granddaughter home.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julia <b>nced </b>at Lily. ¡°What has Lily done this time to anger you?¡±


    She¡¯d never liked Lily, so it was natural for her to me Elly whenever things went wrong


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about your granddaughter, Mrs. Goldberg, What <b>has </b>this got to do with Lily? As far as I know, she¡¯s cut ties with the Martinez family,¡± Loid said.


    He stared daggers at Julia. Panicked, Julia stumbled, almost falling. Upon hearing this, Susan looked around for Shannon. When she didn¡¯t see her around, she panicked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Shannon, isn¡¯t it? What have you done to my daughter?¡±


    Loid nced at her coldly, ¡°How about you go upstairs and see for yourself what your daughter¡¯s up to


    Susan did not notice the ulterior meaning in Lold¡¯s words. Worried about Shannon¡¯s safety, she can upstairs hastily and went into every room searching for Shannon.


    When she arrived at Loid¡¯s room, she was shocked.


    <b>¡°</b>Shannon!¡± she screamed.


    Upon hearing her scream, the rest of the Martinez family were shocked as well. They can upstairs, When they saw Shannon, they froze,


    ¡°Susan Mckay!<b>¡± </b>Gwen Smith, Lionel¡¯s wife, shouted, ¡°Look at what your daughter has done! She has embarrassed the family!¡±


    Susan looked as if someone had pped her hard across the tace.


    Liam was furious. ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± he yelled at Susan. ¡°Wake her up!¡±


    droom


    Hasty, Susan shook Shannon. Shannon hadn¡¯t been drugged. She¡¯d only been knocked out, so she woke up easily. When she opened her eyes, she saw a packed i


    After a dazed moment, she asked dumbly, ¡°Dad¡± Grandma? <b>Why </b>are you guys <b>here</b>?


    ¡°Why <b>do </b>you think I¡¯m here? Ask yourself that! You¡¯ve not only embarrassed yourself but the Martinez family as well!¡± julia began hitting Shannon with her cane


    ¡°After all I¡¯ve done to get you to live here, is this how you repay me? By giving me an aneurysm?¡±


    Julia did not hold back at all. Tears of pain welled up in Shannon¡¯s eyes, ¡°Grandma, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Are you really still trying to y dumb with us right now? Julia <b>said </b>angrily, ¡°It we hadn¡¯t seen you in bed with this strange man, we would¡¯ve been fooled by that innocent tarade you pot on! You¡¯re only 19! Are you that sex¨Cstarved?¡±

 Chapter 134

    Chapter134


    Julia snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just as much of a slut as your mother is. You and your family are really determined to <b>bring </b>about the downfall of the Martinez family<b>, </b><b>aren¡¯t </b>you?¡±


    Shannon was confused by Julia¡¯s words. She turned around, intending <b>to </b>ask Susan what was going on, but her eyes fell on to the man lying beside her instead. She widened her eyes and screamed.


    The man was woken up by <b>her </b>shrill scream. He sat up and looked around at the Martinez family gathered in the room.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Why are you in my room? Then, he turned to Shannon and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Were you not satisfiedst night, baby? Do you need an audience?¡±


    Heughed<b>. </b>¡°I didn¡¯t clock you to be so open¨Cminded.¡±


    Shannon pushed him away and began kicking at him hysterically. ¡°Who are you? What have you done to me?¡±


    She looked like a Boness in rage. Her eyes were rimmed with red and burning with anger.


    The man paused for a moment. Then, he got angry as well ¡°What the hell? You were the one who called me overst night. You told me you missed me. I came here because of you!


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± shannon screamed, tears flowing down her face.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    It had been toldst night! She thought of something suddenly and stood up


    It was only <b>then </b>that she realized that she was naked. She scrambled back into bed and painted at the man and the Martinez family. ¡°Get out! All of you!¡±


    ¡°Shannon!¡± Despite her confusion over the whole situation, Susan was still worried about Shannon.


    ¡°Get out! Just get out!¡± Shannon screamed hysterically.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Julia said, suppressing her anger. She left with everyone else


    This whole fiasco was an embarrassment to her family. Besides <b>that</b>, Shannon had just burned 18. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for everyone to just stare at her naked body like that.


    After getting dressed, <b>Shannon </b>ran downstairs. Loid and Lily were drinking tea in the living room, calm as ever. Something seemed to snap in <b>Shannon</b>. They were perfectly fine!


    It had all been an act. They had pretended to pass out and got a strange man to rape her! Anger reced all rational thought


    She ran up to Lily and grabbed her by the cor, screaming, ¡°It was you, <b>wasn¡¯t </b>it? You nned all of this. You want to ruin my reputation so that you can rece melt


    Loid¡¯s expression darkened. But before he could do anything, Lily gave him <b>a </b>look. He stopped, but his expression remained cold. Lily looked at Shannon with a half¨Csmile. She did not say anything.


    ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± Shannon continued, her expression twisted. ¡°I am the best I am the only daughter of the Martinez family. You¡¯re nothingpared to me! You¡¯ll never rece me!


    Lily just smiled at that, her lips curved in a scoff.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Say </b>something!¡± Shannon did not like the look Lily was giving her. She was <b>in </b>full hysterics now. ¡°Tell Loid that you set me up. You made that man rape me! Tell him!¡±


    ¡°What should I say? Should I tell him about your wicked ns? Should I tell everyone how <b>you </b>tried to poison me and Loid? Lily said as she pushed Shannon away forcefully


    Shannon stumbled backward <b>and </b>fell onto her <b>butt</b>. The Martinezes paled in fear when they heard that, Julia red at Shannon.


    ¡°You bastard! How dare you try and poison Loid! Do you have a death wish?¡±


    Shannon was going to be the death <b>of </b>her. <b>Didn¡¯t </b>she know who Loid was? <b>If </b>she¡¯d seeded in poisoning Loid, then the entire Martinez family would have to pay for her sins as


    well.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter <b>135</b>


    <b>Chapter </b>135


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t! Shannon roared.


    She¡¯d just.. She¡¯d just given Loid some aphrodisiacs. Lily, on the other <b>hand</b>, just got some hallucinogens.


    ¡°<b>No</b>?¡± Lold stood <b>up </b>and approached her slowly. He looked down on her <b>haughtily</b>. ¡°We found traces of poison in the water you served us at dinner earlier. Would you like to see the report?¡±


    Shannon stared at him in disbeliet ¡°How can that be? 1 just gave you some hallucinogens. It wasn¡¯t polson!¡±


    ¡°So you admit that you did try to drug us.¡± Loid¡¯s voice dropped a <b>few </b>decibels. At that moment, <b>his </b>anger made him look like the devil incarnated.


    Terrified, Shannon scrambled away from him until her raind caught up with her. She scrambled back again and tugged on Loid¡¯s trouser leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m___ I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. I just love you so much, Loid. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. I wouldn¡¯t ever hurt anyone! Please forgive me. I won¡¯t do it again,¡±


    She now knew that it wasn¡¯t Lily who had set her up. It was Loid! How could he be so cruel? He would give her away to another man just so that he wouldn¡¯t have to sleep with h


    Was she that undesirable to the point that Loid wanted to ruin her reputation?


    Loid kicked her away expressionlessly. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my forgiveness.¡±


    her!


    Susan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She fell to her knees before Lold. ¡°Lold, <b>it¡¯s </b><b>all </b>my fault. I should have taught her better. I¡¯ll take her ce in any punishment you dole out to her. Please let her go.¡±


    She pulled Shannon into her arms, shielding her with her body, <b>and </b>continued hurriedly, ¡°I promise I will watch her better from now on. I won¡¯t let her do anything like this again.


    ¡°Your promises mean nothing to me.¡± Loid had no desire to speak to her.


    He turned to the rest of the Martinez family. ¡°Show¡¯s over, Mrs. Goldberg. Take your granddaughter and leave Stop polluting the air in my house.¡±


    Julia did not dare to refute him. Utterly hundated, she left with Shannon and the rest of her family. The vi emptied instantly and silence returned.


    Even though Shannon was out of the house now, Lily still wasn¡¯t happy. She nced at cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for your medicinal bath. I¡¯ll give you acupuncture


    ton.<b>¡±</b>


    Then, she turned and went upstairs, Lold watched her leave. His heart ached for her.


    Lily always bottled up her emotions. Earlier, when Susan was defending Shannon, he had seen the change in her expression. She had felt sad.


    She¡¯d never gotten any love from her parents in her childhood. Susan had given all her love to Shannon, leaving Lily with only disdain. How strong did one have to be to suppress all of that hurt?


    Lily was busy over the next few days.


    She had to give Jason his acupuncture treatment and deal with Loid¡¯s poison all while bncing her schoolwork on top of that


    Lately, she¡¯d put aside herziness and was addicted topleting worksheets, even though she¡¯d done all of them several times over


    <b>ss </b>18¡¯s victory in their mid¨Cterm exams gave them a boost of confidence Dering lessons, they paid attention closely. They could now understand their lessons better.


    No one fooled around during self¨Cstudy sessions either. They were allmitted to studying. The stress <b>of </b>the final exams seemed to linger in the air.


    One day, after sses ended, Deniel came to pick Lily up from school to her surprise, However, she did not question Daniel.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Even so, Daniel gave her Loid¡¯s schedule unprompted. ¡°Mr. Laurier had to go to Aeston for work. He should be home by 11:00 pm.


    Lily hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t miss his treatments.¡±


    Budel nodded. ¡°Mr. Laurier <b>said </b>he¡¯ll be home before

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily did not press further. Daniel then drove her back to Anmer Heights. The journey took some time, so Lily closed her eyes for a moment.


    After a while, the car suddenly jerked to a stop Taken by surprise, Lily jolted forward, almost hitting the <b>seat </b>in front of her. Thankfully, she regained her bnce quickly.


    She frowned. But before she could say anything, Daniel said gravely, ¡°We ran into some trouble, Ms. Brooks. Stay in the car. Don¡¯te out.¡±


    Only then did Lily notice that the car <b>was </b>surrounded by a group of people who were all holding metal pipes. She narrowed her eyes but stayed put as Daniel had told her to


    Even though she¡¯d never seen Daniel fight before, she knew that he wasn¡¯t weak. He should be able to stand his ground against these ruffians.


    From the car, she watched as Daniel exchanged <b>a </b>few words with the group before the lighting started.


    Daniel was good. However¡­ Not far away, several vans sped over. Suddenly, another bigger group of ruffians rushed toward them.


    Daniel¡¯s expression changed. He retreated to the car and said in a panic, ¡°Ms. Brooks, take the car and leave now. I¡¯ll take care of these people¡±


    Lily drummed her fingers against the chair for a few moments. Then, she opened the door and got out of the car.


    Daniel panicked. ¡°Ms. Brooks, what are you doing? just leave! We can¡¯t tight all of these people!¡±


    He knew Lily could fight better than him. But, even so, she was only one person<b>. </b><b>They </b>wouldn¡¯t be able to fight so many people at once.


    Lily shot him a cold <b>look</b>. ¡°Get back¡±


    Daniel refused to listen to her. He stood in front of her, shielding her as best as he could.


    lert<b>! </b>#y


    Therge group of men soon arrived. Their leader stared at Lily for a few moments. Once he was sure that he had the right person, he smiled. ¡°You weren¡¯t easy to corner, you know.¡±


    Before this, Loid was always by Lily¡¯s side, so they couldn¡¯t do anything to her. When their spy told them that Loid was absent today, they took the opportunity and sent out <b>everyone</b>.


    It was a little bit extra to send so many people after a high schooler, but they couldn¡¯t defy orders.


    Lily stuck her hands into her pocket. Her cold expression looked sinister under the streemps. With her head lowered<b>, </b>her cap obscured most of her line of sight


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. All you need to know is that someone wants to teach you a lesson!¡± the leader of the group said.


    ¡°A word of advice: just stand still and don¡¯t fight back. It¡¯ll be easier to just get this over with otherwise, you won¡¯t want to know what will happen next.¡±


    ¡°Did the Maynards send <b>you</b>?¡± Lily ignored his threats.


    The leader paused. His face contorted with rage. ¡°Get her!¡± he snapped at his men.


    Lily smiled. ¡°Looks like I got it right,¡±


    She took off her cap and handed it to Daniel. ¡°Hold this for me.¡±


    Anyone who knew her well would know that her taking off her cap meant that she was really angry.


    Like an arrow released from a bow, Lily rushed toward the men. She was <b>so </b>fast that her figure blurred<b>.</b>


    Daniel couldn¡¯t even see her movements clearly. All he heard were screams, and the men began falling one by one. He widened his eyes as he watched the impossible scene untold before him


    Was he dreaming? Lily had incapacitated more than a hundred people in just under ten minutes. They didn¡¯t even get the chance to react


    ¡°Fuck!¡± the leader howled ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you. You¡¯re good at fighting, but you¡¯re still doomed!¡±


    He pulled out a gun and pointed in at Lily.


    Daniel was shocked. ¡°Ms. Brooks! Lookout!¡±

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Lily turned. A cold light shed in her eyes. A needle slipped out of her sleeve and new toward the man.


    Suddenly, the jarring sound of the needle <b>meeting </b>the bullet in mid¨Cair sounded. The bullet fell to the ground.


    Lily took a step forward and grabbed the man by his cer. Her voice was cold. ¡°Where did you get the gun?¡±


    The man gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat! My boss won¡¯t let you off so easily. The Maynards answer to Reese!


    The man was Luke Gainsworth, Anthony Maynard¡¯s right¨Chand man. He knew Anthony well after fighting by his side for so many years


    At first<b>, </b>Anthony wanted to beat Lily up to vent his anger. But now, Lily had to die for what she¡¯d done. It was one of Anthony¡¯s rules¨Cthese were obeyed by the underground forces <b>as </b>well.


    Lily tightened her hold on his neck. Coldness exuded from her ¡°Send me all your men. All of them!¡±


    Luke hadn¡¯t expected her to be so bold. ¡°You asked for it.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Without dy, be called Anthony. Very soon, a whole fleet of cars arrived on the scene. There were vans and cars alike. They made a grand entrance,


    The car at the front stopped. The door opened<b>, </b>and a man got our


    In his smart suit, he looked quite handsome. If one could ignore the aggressive hostility practically watting off of him, it wouldn¡¯t be too far¨Cfetched to mistake him for sessful businessman.


    The other men surrounded Lily in an imprable ring


    ¡°Reese has ordered the death of anyone who disrupts the peace of Lagersfield City!¡± The man in the suitstalked slowly toward Lily, parting the crowd as he did so. ¡°Who is this¡­¡±


    When he got a good look at Lily, he faltered. His eyes widened in shock and he fell to his knees, trembling. ¡°Re¡±


    Lily gave him a pointed look. The man shuddered and corrected himself immediately. ¡°Ms. Brooks,¡±


    His actions shocked everyone. Even Daniel was taken aback. He stared at Lily, deep in thought.


    If he remembered correctly<b>, </b>the man before them was Clinton Xanders, the deputy head of Vertdrago. He worked under Reese,


    Reese was a legendary figure amongst the underground forces of Lagersfield City Rumor had it <b>that</b>, before he came to Lagersfield City, he had ruled the underground world of


    Arsson


    They said that he had strange ideals. Unlike other rulers of the underground forces, he advocated for peace.


    When he was in charge <b>of </b>Aeston, one of his rules was that no one was allowed <b>to </b>disrupt the peace of the city. No fighting was allowed without reason, and homicide was ruled illegal.


    Apart from the authorities and the higher¨Cranking officials of the underground forces, no one was allowed to own or use guns as well.


    At first, the other rulers scored his rules. Some of them even schemed to take over Aeston, but none of them seeded. They were never heard of again. After that, no one dared to challenge Reese


    Aeston became a forbidden paradise, one that lived in peace and harmony.


    A month ago, Reese suddenly appeared in Lagersfield City. In just a few days, he had managed to be the ruler of Lagersfield City¡¯s underworld.


    Because of this, Reese¡¯s right¨Chand men were highly revered in Lagersfield City, Clinton was one of them. But why would he be so respectful toward Lily?


    Daniel stared at Clinton thoughtfully.


    ¡°He has <b>a </b>gun,¡± Lily said, putting her hands back in her pocket. Her posture was straight, her gaze piercing


    Clinton stiffened. Jolting back to his senses, he got up and kicked Luke. ¡°Fuck! Where did you get that gun?!


    ¡°But, Mr. Xanders, aren¡¯t you here to help me? I thought Mr. Maynard called you here!¡± Lake did not know <b>why </b>Clinton was hitting him all of a sudden. He was confused ¡°I¡¯m not fucking helping you!¡± Clinton punched him. ¡°Answer me now, or I¡¯ll rip your limbs off! Fuck!¡±

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    Lily had given orders that no one was allowed to be armed. They had confiscated all the guns from the refugees when they took over Lagersfield City.


    This was outrageous! The Maynard family had the <b>gall </b>to carry guns around, even intending to kill people.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Never mind how Lily was going to deal with the Maynards, Luke¡¯s own life was already at stake.


    ¡°M¨CMr. Maynard purchased the guns from the firearms dealers in Zuburg! We have nothing to do with this!¡±


    Having been beaten up by Clinton, Luke shrieked in agony.


    Very well, Maynard family! Clinton narrowed his eyes. He ordered his subordinates, ¡°Get rid of them now. We¡¯ll wipe out the Maynard family today!¡±


    ¡°<b>No</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b><b>Luke </b>screamed, kneeling before him. ¡°Mr. Xanders, we¡¯ve always been supportive of Reese. Why are you targeting the Maynard family out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°Out of the blue?¡± Clinton red at him. ¡°You Maynards have messed with someone you shouldn¡¯t have. Wiping you out is considered a light punishment¡±


    Lying limp on the ground, Luke spiraled in turmoil. He couldn¡¯t fathom whom the Maynard family had offended. As if he was suddenly reminded of something, he looked at Lily. His face paled.


    ¡°It¡¯s you<b>?</b>¡±


    Lily peered at him coldly. ¡°Yes. So what? I¡¯ll grant the Maynard family their death wish since they¡¯re that eager to die.¡± Her tone was devoid of any warmth, and she sounded positively menacing.


    Just then, Daniel¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up, and his expression changed drastically shortly after. Hurrying toward Lily, he said, ¡°Ms. Brooks, something happened at the bospital.¡±


    Lily furrowed her brows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Someone attacked the ward. Three bodyguards are dead, and I¡¯m afraid that your grandma is..¡±


    Sensing the malice emanating from Lily, Daniel didn¡¯t dare to finish his sentence. He froze.


    Suddenly, Lily swerved around and grabbed Luke¡¯s neck. ¡°The Maynards better pray that my grandma will be fine Otherwise, I¡¯ll tear you lot to pieces and feed you to the dogs!¡±


    Daniel shuddered. Lily was truly terrifying!


    Lily pivoted and took her leave. However, she suddenly stopped in her tracks <b>and </b>looked at Clinton. ¡°It¡¯s the same for you guys as well!¡±


    <b>Clinton¡¯s </b>legs immediately gave in, and he copsed to the ground. It wasn¡¯t until Lily disappeared from his sight did he finally snap back to his senses. Whisking out his phone, he dialed a number.


    ¡°Elijah, we¡¯re doomed!¡±


    Lilybolted toward the hospital in her car. Fortunately, their current location wasn¡¯t <b>far </b>from the hospital, and she arrived within ten minutes.


    She darted to the ward. The entire internal medicine department was a mess. A few d doctors <b>and </b>nurses had been shot and were lying limp on the ground. She couldn¡¯t tell <b>whether</b>


    they were alive or not.


    Lily¡¯s legs felt leaden as she moved forward Clinton¡¯s brows formed a tight knot as he observed his surroundings.


    The attackers had been ruthless. Even if they wanted to target Belinda, they shouldn¡¯t have dragged others into this. It was simply inhumane to hurt medical staff.


    Even Daniel, who was <b>usually </bposed, was outraged. Suddenly, he heard something,


    ¡°Ms. Brooks, there¡¯s something in the ward.


    Recollecting herself, Lily dashed into the ward. The bodyguardsid scattered on the ground, and Belinda was in a corner of the ward. A bodyguard was on top of her, and both of


    them had been <b>shot</b>


    Lily¡¯s pupils widened in shock. She hauled Belinda up and set her down on the bed, immediately stabilizing her pulse with her silver needles.


    She didn¡¯t rush to treat Belinda. Instead, she tended to the bodyguards and the injured medical staff first, stabilizing their vitals.


    Once she was done<b>, </b>she returned to the ward and ordered Daniel, ¡°Prepare the surgery room.¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    Meanwhile, a luxury car was speeding on the highway from Zuburg to Lagersfield City. A dozen ck cars zoomed after it at an equal speed.


    Several imen leaned out of the windows of the ck cars, aiming their guns at the car in front of them.


    The bullets struck the car. The car shook slightly but was otherwise unscathed due to the modified bulletproof car exterior. The passengers in the car weren¡¯t in danger.


    <b>¡°</b>Fuck!¡± Shaun nced <b>at </b>the rearview mirror and pped the steering wheel angrily. elerating the car, he dodged the <b>cars </b>from behind as he turned toward the backseat


    <b>¡°</b><b>Neil</b><b>, </b>how¡¯s Loid? Can he hold on until we reach Lagersfield<b>?</b>¡±


    Neil looked grim. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that. He has been shot in several ces, and he has also been poisoned. He can hardly endure it any longer!¡±


    ¡°Then you better figure something out!¡± Shaun bellowed, his eyes turning bloodshotText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    rint back to


    They were in Zuburg for business. Little had they expected to cross paths with their old enemies. They could¡¯ve initially evaded their enemies, but Loid insisted on going Lagersfield City after receiving a call from a bodyguard at the hospital,


    Loid¡¯s poison took effect after a fiercebattle. Losing his usual vignce, he was identally shot. Shaun sensed that the odds were stacked against them, so he decided to take Loid to Rothsville Instead <b>as </b>they had men there.


    However, Loid refused to head over to Rothsville. He said that even if he had to die, he¡¯d rather return to Lagersfield and die in front of Lily.


    <b>As </b>she had <b>said </b>before, they needed to return to Lagersfield if they were in danger, no matter how dire the circumstances might be.


    Shaun had no choice but to take Loid back to Lagersfield But those people had been pursuing them relentlessly. Even if the car was equipped with a bulletproof exterior, it couldn¡® hold out for long.


    ¡°I can only try my b


    best to keep his bleeding under control. <b>There¡¯s </b>really nothing else I can do.¡±


    Neil was equally anxious, but he knew there was no way to rush things at this point. He could only try his best to tend to Loid¡¯s injury.


    ¡°We have to find a ce to operate on Lold as soon as possible and remove the bullets! Neil dered solemnly


    Shaun¡¯s gaze darkened, Clenching his teeth, he said, ¡°I have no choice. I¡¯ll shake them off first and take Lold to the nearest hospital. You operate on him while I keep them at bay.¡±


    Loid suddenly grabbed Neil¡¯s hand. ¡°No! Go back to Lagersliek!¡±


    His face has turned ashen, leaching all signs of vigor. His entire body ached, and he had no strength at all. Still, he managed to grit out an order with hisst breath.


    ¡°But..¡± Neil faltered, casting a nce at Shaun


    Shaun looked at Loid, whose arms had drooped. He seemed grunt. After contemting for a while, Shaun gritted his teeth and growled, ¡°I¡¯ll fucking give it <b>a </b>go!¡±


    He jammed on the elerator, and the car sped up in an instant. The powerful dynamics of his car allowed him to maintain top speed for <b>a </b>few miles. As a result, the cars behind him eventually fell back.


    Shaun heaved a sigh of relet. Finally, his car came to a halt at the entrance of Lagersfield City.


    Someone stopped his car from entering Furrowing his brows<b>, </b>he noticed a group of ten people marching toward them. The <b>man </b>in the lead red at them and asked, ¡°What are you here for<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Shaun Knight fr


    from Bridgeport. We have to go in Please move aside<b>!</b>¡± Shaun said hastily, looking quite impatient.


    Some of the men nced into the car and spotted Loid, who was severely injured.


    The man in the lead continued, ¡°Reese has taken over Lagersfield City. He has ordered that no one <b>is </b>allowed to cause any trouble here¡±


    <b>Shaun </b>scowled. ¡°This is argent. We have to get in!¡±


    ¡°Shaun!¡± Neil stopped him and turned toward the man. ¡°Can you please inform Reese that we¡¯d like to meet him?


    ¡°He¡¯s not just someone you can demand to meet. The man shot are at <b>them</b>. ¡°It <b>there¡¯s </b>nothing else, hurry up and leave. Come back after you¡¯ve finished dealing with your problem¡±


    Neil¡¯s expression turned somber. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask Reese first? What if he¡¯s willing to meet us? We¡¯re not insignificant. Since Reese has just established himself here, I¡¯m pure he doesn¡¯t want to make more enemies, right?¡±


    Politely, Meil continued, ¡°If Reese is willing to help us, the <b>Laurier </b>and Knight families from Bridgeport will definitely repay his favor in the future.¡±

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140inal ME UMCIS


    <b>¡°</b>The Laurier and Knight families?¡± Brian narrowed his eyes<b>, </b>seemingly lost in thought.


    He rarely took notice of such information. Yet, he could vaguely recall how formidable the Laurier and Knight families were in Bridgeport. Shaun did mention hisst name earlier, but it hadn¡¯t rung a bell


    Realizing the significance of their meeting, he had to report this to Reese.


    ¡°Walthere. <b>I¡¯ll </b><b>have </b>someone ask¡±


    A series of gunshots <b>cut </b>Brian¡¯s <b>words </b>short.


    Shaun dodged the attack swiftly, avoiding the bullets behind him. Still, the three of them were no match for those people. Brian¡¯s expression turned cold as he pondered on how to


    tackle them.


    ¡°They have a death wish for trying to stir trouble in Lagersfield¡±


    Whisling out a gun from his pocket, he turned toward his subordinates and ordered, ¡°Inform Reese that someone wants <b>to </b>see <b>him</b><b>. </b>The others shall prepare for a battle.¡±


    The guards of Lagersfield City were exceptional. Perfectlyposed, they all fed into bare with precise macksmanship.


    Shaun was relieved. He <b>was </b>genuinely worried that Brian would ignore them. Indeed, Reese was truly one of <b>a </b>kind¨Ceven Loid couldn¡¯t order them around.


    More and more people came after them. Cars closed in on them in less than five minutes, and the crowd began to grow denser. All of them were armed.


    Brian¡¯s expression changed drastically. He roared, ¡°Hurry up and inform Reese about this now!¡±


    Lily trained all of them herself<b>, </b>so they were capable of taking on a hundred men alone, However, they were clearly no match for an army of thousands.


    Judging from the noise, Brian could tell that more cars wereing. It appeared that the underground forces of the several cities nearby were all headed for them.


    At this point, it seemed like Shaun, Neil, and Loid weren¡¯t the only ones being pursued. These forces intended to overthrow the authorities in Lagersfield City as well


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Brian cursed under his breath, hurling several needles at his opponents. He bellowed, ¡°Guys, we must hold on until Reese arrives. Don¡¯t let anyone in¨Cwe can¡¯t let them disrupt the order of Lagersfield City!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± his subordinates yelled in response.


    Shaun was fabbergasted Then, Brian and his men began attacking the enemies with silver needles, rendering them immobile,


    Narrowing his eyes<b>, </b>Shaun couldn¡¯t help but wonder about their needle technique. Eventually, the battle grew tiercer, <b>and </b><b>he </b>couldn¡¯t care less. As <b>he </b>barged into the crowd, he didn¡¯t forget to instruct Neil.


    ¡°Get Lold in first. Don¡¯t go back to Anmer Heights¨Cit¡¯s probably unsafe.¡±


    Nell concurred and entered the city promptly.


    Lily might have been skilled, but she couldn¡¯t remove the bullets with silver needles. However, the baller in Belinda¡¯s <b>body </b><b>had </b>to be removed.


    After she performed surgery on Belinda, she proceeded with operating on the medical staff and the bodyguards.


    Initially, she couldn¡¯t handle it alone, but Benjamin¡¯s <b>arrival </b>on the scene with other surgeons allowed all the procedures to proceed smoothly.


    Wheeling Belinda into her ward, she <b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°Dr. Green, thanks for arranging someone to take care of my grandma. I have other things to tend to, so I¡¯ll get going first¡±


    Benjamin nodded. ¡°Sure, go ahead. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    He was extremely impressed by Lily¡¯s skills. Never once did he evere across such a marvelous doctor.


    <b>A </b><b>surgery </b>that included anesthesia, incision, and suturing took her only 20 minutes. Her movements were crisp and resolute, and not a hint of hesitation was seri


    She¡¯d move on to the next patient promptly, leaving the finishing touches <b>to </b>others. Even the best doctors in their hospital paled inparison to her.


    Turning toward Daniel, Lily said coldly, ¡°Head over to the Obsidian Lounge nowN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    The Obsidian Lounge? Daniel looked at Lily in surprise. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Obsidian Lounge belonged to Reese, after all, Lily¡¯s decision to visit caught Daniel off guard, but she was unphased. Arching <b>her </b>brows, she nced at him coldly.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Is there an issue


    Her piercing gaze sent shivers down his spine. Withdrawing his gaze in haste, he answered, ¡°No. I¡¯ll take you there now.


    Along the way, Daniel sneaked a few nces at Lily. Though she had been silent, she looked terrifying. He had never seen her like this before.


    Once they arrived at Obsidian Lounge, Lily emerged from the car.


    ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± she instructed cokily.


    ¡°Ms.-¡±


    Daniel was just about to inform her that she <b>couldn¡¯t </b>enter Obsidian Lounge without an invitation when she just strode right in. The guards didn¡¯t even stop her at all.


    Daniel widened his eyes, a glint flickering in his eyes. What was Lily¡¯s real identity? How could she just enter the Obsidian Lounge freely?


    The security here was extremely tight. Even Loid had to ask for the owner¡¯s permission if he were to enter. How exactly had Lily managed it?


    Lily went straight to the elevator and pressed the button for the 25th floor. As soon as she exited the elevator<b>, </b>a group of people rushed past her. The moment the person in the lead spotted her, he fell to his knees,


    ¡°Reese!¡±


    Lily nced at him, not uttering <b>a </b>word. She walked straight into a spacious room. The people behind her exchanged nces, and two of them began perspiring on their foreheads. They all trailed after her.


    The few men got on their knees again once the door closed. One of them said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reese. I didn¡¯t expect the Maynards to purchase firearms without permission.¡±


    The man speaking was Elijah Jones, the second inmand of the underground forces. He obeyed only Lily¡¯s orders and had tens of thousands of men under hismand. Everyone treated him with great respect


    Despite being in his 30s, he was quivering in front of Lily, a mere 19¨Cyear¨Cold. He knew her too well to underestimate her. She could be extremely vicious if she was infuriated.


    Actually, Lily was easy to talk to. She was, however, unyielding in terms of adhering to her core principles


    She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to vite them. Private possession of firearms was not only against her rules but also against the rules of the underground forces.


    The Maynards hadn¡¯t just vited this rule, but they also nearly killed Lily. As a result, Elijah had to bear the regression.


    Tucking both her hands in her pockets, Lily scanned the room. Her expression remained shuttered. Not seeing the person she was looking for, she inquired, ¡°Where¡¯s Clinton? ¡°He¡¯s gone to deal with the Maynards,¡± Elijah replied politely.


    Lily took a bottle of beer from the fridge and took a swig of it. Nonchntly, she <b>began</b>, ¡°<b>Call </b>him and tell him not toy a finger on the Maynards. I¡¯ll deal with them personally,¡± Elijah inhaled sharply. Things must have been grave for <b>Lily </b>to deal with them personally. Still, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything else except a docile ¡°Yes¡±


    Downing the entire bottle in one go, Lily glowered at Elijah. ¡°Someone has to bear the consequences for the rulebreakers!¡±


    Elijah shuddered. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll ept my punishment. Please go ahead, Reese.¡±


    ¡°Tdon¡¯t have time to deal with you. Go to the detention hall for your punishment instead.¡± Lily tossed the beer bottle into the trash can. ¡°Arrange for someone to protect my grandma. If something happens to her again


    Elijah immediately interjected before she could finish, ¡°Rest assured, Reese. I swear nothing will happen to Madam Hutchinson again.¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now then.¡±


    Gaping at her in shock, Elijah was confused by the sudden change in her demeanor. In the past, they would surely earn a few days in the hospital if something like this happened. Yet, she merely told him to go to the detention hall instead to <b>im </b>his own punishment. In fact, she seemingly didn¡¯t intend to punish them at all.


    Litle was Elijah aware that Lily had be less hostile ever since she started seeing Lold.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    These killings literally meant nothing to Lily. In fact, she rarely got into trouble as long as others didn¡¯t provoke her. The Maynards had crossed the line though. They <b>had </b>to pay the price.


    The door suddenly flung open just as she reached the door. One of her men entered, and he went up to her swiftly


    ¡°Reese, there are two people outside who want to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Lily was slightly surprised. Not many people could find her here.


    ¡°I have no idea. One of them was severely injured and unconscious. They wanted to seek your help. Apparently, it seems like people have been going after them, so they fled <b>to </b>Lagersfield¡±


    Lily fell silent for a moment. ¡°Take them under our wing since they¡¯re in Lagersfield errory now. Get some people to send them to the hospital, and also make sure they get home safely.¡±


    ¡°Noted, Sean said. He took his leave promptly


    Lily <b>also </b>didn¡¯t linger on any longer. She took the elevator with Sean, intending to leave for the ground Door


    However, she saw an anxious Neil the moment she turned up at the door. She frowned, nning to ignore him in the end, she still approached him nheless, knowing that he was <b>Loid¡¯s </b>subordinate.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Brooks?¡± Lold <b>gaped </b>at Lily ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here on some business,¡± she replied nonchntly.


    Just then, Sean hurried over and cast a quizzical look at Nell. ¡°Reese, they¡¯re the ones who wanted to meet you.<b>¡±</b>


    Loid was in the car, so Lily didn¡¯t spot him. He narrowed his eyes upon hearing Sean¡¯s remark. Looking at Nell, he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Neil was spiraling in turmoil. The way Sean addressed Lily let him gobsmacked. He froze,pletely unaware of what Lily said


    Reese? How could it be? Could he have misheard? How could Lily possibly be Reese? Reese was the king of the underground forces of Aeston <b>and </b><b>Lagersted </b>City. How could Reese possibly be a 19¨Cyear¨Cold?


    This was absurd. He must¡¯ve gotten it wrong.


    ¡°M¨CMs. Brooks, what did he call you earlier? Nell asked. Eager to be reassured, he seemed to have forgotten about Loid, who was severely injured.


    Lily¡¯s expression turned sullen. ¡°Answer my question! What happened? Don¡¯t test my patience!¡± she snapped impatiently.


    The chill in her voice seeped in to Neil¡¯s bones, sending shivers down his spine. He sheddered and immediately replied, ¡°Loid was poisoned, and he was also shot..¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression changed drastically. She yanked the door open before Nell even finished his sentence.


    Loid¡¯s breathing wasbored, and his face had been drained of color. Lily reached out to take his pulse, and her expression turned grim. Damn it! He was literally hanging on by hisst breath


    Using her silver needles to stabilize his pulse, she nced over at Neil shortly after.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°How did he get shot?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Neil hesitated, wondering whether he should tell Lily the truth. He nearly pissed his pants when he saw her expression.


    Petrified, he blurted out, ¡°We went to Aeston for business, but we bumped into our enemies when we were on our way back, Lold¡¯s poison took effect just then, and we were <b>no </b>match for them. Loid also got shot to protect us!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shaun?¡±


    Three of them had gone, but only two of them came back. Where was Shaun?


    Lily¡¯s stance shifted. Although Sham could be slightly annoying at certain times, she¡¯d already considered him one of her own. She would destroy anyone who dared toy a finger on her people!


    ¡°He¡¯s at the city pate. Dur enemies caught up to us¡­¡±

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Lily leaped forward before Neil finished his sentence, disappearing from his sight in an instant.


    Stunned, he stared nkly in the direction where she had vanished. What had he just seen? Had she just literally whooshed past him?


    Ejah, who had been trailing after Lily, burned grim. He swiftly ordered his subordinates, ¡°Quick! Go help them at the city gate¡±


    Seeing how everyone had left, Neil felt at a loss. What should he do now? What about Loid? <b>Should </b>he take him to the hospital?


    Just as he was struggling for resolve, Lily reappeared. ¡°Take him to the hospital, but don¡¯t touch the needles Operate on him and remove the bullets. I¡¯ll take care of the rest once I¡¯m <b>back</b>


    Bolting toward the city gate, Lilly suddenly realized that her concern had been unnecessary. She was 20 minutes away from the city gate.


    She was fast, but she simply couldn¡¯t outrun a car. Daniel was around either, but she learned that he had parked the car at the parking lot after she called him.


    With Nell¡¯s intelligence, she figured he¡¯d probably stand there for the entire night. By then, Laid would¡¯ve bled to death. Thus, she had no choice but to turn back and give him specific instructions.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Neil concurred in a daze.


    Daniel had also just driven up from <b>a </b>distance. He recognized Lily and Loid¡¯s car in a heartbeat. He exited the car, but Lily dragged him away promptly just as he was about to inquire about Neil¡¯s whereabouts.


    Shaun had been desperately batting the army of the underground forces at the city gate. He had run out of bullets, and only five of the guards at the city gate were left standing.


    They were utterly exhausted, but only half of the underground forces were destroyed


    Shaun clenched his fists as the enemy advanced toward <b>them</b>. It seemed Hoe he was bound to die here today. Gritting his teeth, he was just about to attack when a car sped toward him from behind


    Amidst the darkness, he couldn¡¯t make out who was in the car, but he could vaguely see two figures. The car came to a halk, and the door flungopen.


    Brian immediately eximed, ¡°Reese is here!¡±


    ¡°Orear, we did i


    <b>Shaun </b>nced over, attempting to see what the legendary Reese looked like Before he could get a good look at Reese, she dashed out of the car.


    Needles flew toward the enemy¡¯s direction from her sleeve, and soon enough, the several hundred opponents gradually turned immobile.


    Shaun was bbergasted. This needle technique was truly incredible, and <b>her </b>attacks were extremely precise. In a split second, every one of their opponents was rendered


    immobile


    Damn¡­ if he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would¡¯ve thought it was a bluff if someone told him this. He had yet toe back to his senses when Brian and his men strode up to Lily,


    Reese, I¡¯m sorry for not being able to rescue our tallenrades,¡± Brian said. At only 25, he was the second¨Cinmand of the underground forces. Henheless showed great respect for Lily


    ncing at their injured men, Lily crouched down and examined their pulse. They were barely alive. She rose and said coldly, ¡°Help them up.¡±


    Shaun was stunned into silence the moment be heard Lily speak. What the heck? Lily? She was Reese? <b>What </b>the fuck was going on?


    Lily scanned her surroundings and spotted Shaun. Only then did she turn <b>toward </b>their enemies, the 500 men who were currently immobilized.


    She <b>sauntered </b>toward them and <b>snarled</b>, ¡°<b>Those </b>who go against my rules shall die! And for those who harm my people, you¡¯ll experience something worse than death<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>


    <b>As </b>she <b>spoke</b>, she moved swiftly through the <b>crowd</b>.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    Soon, the needles were retrieved. The 500 men copsed to the ground, all of them incapacitated.


    Watching this take ce before him, Shaun swallowed <b>hard</b>. Lily was just as formidable as Loid. 500 people wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to <b>Lold </b>as well if he was in his prime


    However, Lily was a girl¨Ca mere 19¨Cyear¨Cold! How could she possibly be this powerful?


    While <b>Shaun </b>was still in a daze, Elijah arrived on the scene with his <b>men</b>. He was unfazed when he saw the people lying limp on the ground.


    Perfectlyposed, he strode up to Lily and asked<b>, </b>¡°Reese, how should we deal with these people?


    As Lily¡¯s right¨Chand man, Elijah knew that she had incapacitated <b>these </b>people. This was her customary punishment.


    <b>Thanks </b>to her legendary medical skills and profound anatomical knowledge, she was capable of ending someone¡¯s life without them realizing it.


    But Lily rarely killed. Elijah once asked why she spared people¡¯s lives, <b>and </b>she said her priority was to save lives since someone had taught her medical skills. Killing was herst


    TESOIL


    Not many died in Lily¡¯s hands over these years as her subordinates handled the killing instead. Thus, having her <b>deal </b>with people personally indicated something even worse than death.


    ¡°Force the poison down their throat and find out who they are. Kick them outter!¡± Lily <b>said </b>coldly before taking her leave


    Elijah couldn¡¯t help but shudder. The poison mentioned was a poison she specially concocted, named ¡°Doomspike Elixir¡°.


    True <b>to </b>its name, anyone who took the poison would suffer excruciating pain every day until they finally couldn¡¯t bear it and resorted to suicide. Otherwise, the agony would apany them for life.


    Not daring to idle on any longer, Elijah ordered his men to acquire the poison swiftly. Then, <b>he </b>carried on with clearing their surroundings.


    Lily hopped back into the car<b>, </b>and Daniel was still dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t snapped out at his reverie. Paying no heed to him, she opened the door and stared at Shaun. He was still rooted on the spot.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving


    The chill in her voice shook him back to his senses. Staring at her nkly, he blurted out, ¡°Huh? Leave?¡±


    Lily stared at him in silence. Her gaze sent shivers down his spine. Only then did he finally regain hisposure and scramble into the car.


    He remembered now¨CNeil had brought Lold to Reese. Apparently, Lily was Reese. That meant Loid stood <b>a </b>chance to be saved! However


    Shaun sneaked asional nces at Lily. Her stance remained grim, and malice was oozing out of her. Slightly intimidated, he couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to speak with her. He had no choice but to force himself to hold his questions in


    Daniel was equally silent, mainly because he didn¡¯t know what to say. He¡¯d been in a daze throughout their whole journey


    They arrived <b>at </b>Lagersfield City Hospital swiftly, and Lily marched right into the surgery room. Neil was still in the middle of operating on Loid.


    After getting changed into sterile clothing, Lily strode into the surgery room and went up to Neil.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Step aside,¡± she said coldly.


    Startled by her sudden presence, Neil nearly made a wrong incision. He nced up and stepped aside instinctively once he noted her shuttered expression.


    Lily was extremely skillful. She worked efficiently with adept precision and removed all the bullets in just ten minutes.


    Nell stared at her, utterly dumbstruck. He finally snapped back to his senses when she began to subure the wounds.


    ¡°Ms. <b>Brooks</b>, let me handle the sutures.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    A jolt of difort shot through Lily as she stared at Loid, who was unconscious.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    Initially, Lily didn¡¯t have to intervene at the city gate. <b>She </b>just couldn¡¯t bear it when she heard that Loid had been injured because of those attackers


    She felt as if her heart had been stabbed, and her blood boiled. She would make those people experience something worse than death to avenge Loid.


    Lily sutured Loid¡¯s wounds gently, as if afraid of causing him any pain despite knowing that he¡¯d been anesthetized.


    She requested for the other surgeons to leave the room once the suturing was over. Nell was the only one left.


    ¡°Have you studied acupuncture before?¡± Lily asked, removing her scrub.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, but I¡¯ve read up on it,¡± Neil replied honestly, his chest swelling with admiration for her.


    <b>L?y </b>nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a technique, and you¡¯ll have to perform it ¡±


    The said technique was, in fact<b>, </b>quite risky Lily should have performed it herself, but it demanded a lot of physical exertion.


    It had been a long day for her, so she couldn¡¯t hold up any longer. She had more important things to attend toter.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>Hence</b><b>, </b>she couldn¡¯t afford to tire herself out. Otherwise, no one could handle Loid¡¯s treatment in the future.


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Neil was dumbfounded. Although he was interested in acupuncture, he¡¯d never done it before, especially not on Loid. What if he made a mistake?


    ¡°Can you do it?¡± Lily grew visibly impatient.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that if I made a mistake, Mr. Laurier would be..¡± Neil was anxies


    ¡°Are you familiar with acupoints?¡± Lily rolled up her sleeves and produced a silver needle pouch.


    <b>Lilly </b>nodded and passed the needles to Neil. ¡°Follow my instructions and insert the needles. Make sure you¡¯re on the right acupoints<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Neil eventually <b>took </b>the needles after a moment of hesitation. He was passionate about medicine, and observing Lily¡¯s acupuncture and surgery skills had left him in awe.


    Although he was certain that he couldn¡¯t reach such heights in this life, he was determined to kam. He would have another set of skills to save lives the mastered this technique.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Following Lily¡¯s instructions, Neil inserted the needles swiftly. This particr technique was quiteplicated.


    Lily used <b>only </b>108 needles to detoxity Laidst time, but this treatment required 360 needles to be inserted into every acupoint on Loid¡¯s body.


    Halfway through the treatment, Lily nced at her pouch,


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    She had run out of needles. She usually equipped her pouch with 600 needles before she went out. Having used around 500 needles at the city gate earlier, she only had roughly 100 nerdles left. Nell had already inserted 50 needles


    Lily immediately mentioned a few acupoints in haste, and said, ¡°Remember these acupoints. Insert them ordingly and don¡¯t stop.¡± She then exited the surgery room.


    Just then, a figure dashed up to her. ¡°Lily, how¡¯s Loid doing?<b>¡±</b>


    Lily nced up at her <b>and </b><b>said </b>warmly, ¡°He¡¯s fine, Mrs. Laurier. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Her gaze darted around her surroundings, and she noticed that Stefan hade as well.


    ¡°Is he really alright?¡± Mnie¡¯s eyes were filled with worry as she nced over at the surgery room. ¡°I heard Shaun say that his poison has recurred, and he¡¯s been shot..¡±


    Lily red at Shaun. She turned toward Mnie and said warmly, ¡°He¡¯ll be fine with me bece.¡±


    <b>Shaun </b>shuddered<b>, </b>unable to find his voice. He hadn¡¯t intended to reveal Lold¡¯s condition¨CStefan and Mnie had forced him to.


    Stefan heaved a sigh of relief. He met <b>Lily¡¯s </b>eyes <b>and </b>said, ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it ¡±


    Lily turned toward Daniel swiftly and ordered, ¡°Bring me 500 acupuncture needles within ten minutes. Hurry up.¡±


    Daniel immediately got to work. Lily didn¡¯t linger around for long either as she went back into the surgery room shortly after.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter <b>146</b>


    Nell had just inserted the needle into the <bst </b>acupoint Lily mentioned when she returned to the surgery room<b>. </b>She immediately mentioned another acupoint<b>, </b><b>and </b>be seamlessly continued the <b>procedure</b>.


    Daniel was remarkably efficient as well. He brought the needles over in less than eight minutes. Fortunately, being in a hospital with an acupuncture department made the task rtively easy. Certain doctors preferred treating patients with acupuncture, after all.


    Time passed by, and Loid¡¯s anesthesia wore off. When he slowly stirred back to consciousness, the procedure was still iplete.


    Lilyinstructing Neil on where to insert the needles was the first thing he saw once he opened his eyes. Drinking at her wless features, he smiled and reached out to hold her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Lily hissed.


    Loid stopped abruptly, looking somewhat aggrieved. She sighed, and exined patiently, ¡°You have needles on your hands. Moving them will disce the needles.¡±


    Only then did Lold¡¯s expression return to normal.


    Meanwhile, Neil witnessed everything in awe. Was this still the Loid he knew? He thought he didn¡¯t recognize the man acting so coquettishly before him


    The Lold he knew was always aloof and sophisticated, so who was this man in front of him?


    Nell chanced a nce at Lily and inhaled deeply. The power of love was formidable indeed.


    The procedure came to an end after ten minutes. Lily Instructed Neil to start withdrawing the needles from the firstone, and he was lucky to have perfect memory.


    He remembered the sequence of the acupoints she mentioned, so he didn¡¯t need her to remind him. He removed all the needles ordingly


    Mnie, Stefan, Shaun, and Daniel all hurried over once Loid was wheeled out of the room. Seeing that Loid had regained consciousness<b>, </b>they breathed a sigh of relict. Shaun was particrly relieved. Loid had been shot protecting him after all. He would never forgive himself if Loid died.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The poison is under control, and it¡¯ll bepletely resolved with another round of treatment for ten days.¡± Lily had always beennd and courteous toward Mnie. ¡°All the bullets have been removed, and he only has a few external injuries left. Nothing serious though. He just has to rest for a while.¡±


    Taking Lily¡¯s hand, Mnie crooned, ¡°Lily, you must be exhausted.¡±


    Lily smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Mrs. Laurier, take care of him first. I¡¯ll need to tend to a few more things


    ¡°But it¡¯s gettingte now! Why don¡¯t you go tomorrow moming instead? I¡¯ll have Daniel send you back first¡± Mnie was worried about Lily¡¯s wellbeing


    ¡°It¡¯s quite important,¡± Lily said softly


    Slightly stunned, Mnie continued, ¡°How about Ie with you instead? I can¡¯t be at ease if you¡¯re alone outside!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Daniel will being with me.¡± Lily intended to deal with the Maynardster. Mnie would¡¯ve been terrified if she tagged along. Mnie didn¡¯t pursue it any further. She merely reminded Lily to be mindful of her safety. Lily nodded and left swiftly with Daniel Seeing that Loid was fine, Shaun followed Lily as well. They owed her <b>a </b>huge favor tonight, so he decided to help her settle the score. However, they ran into the Martinezes once they reached the stairs, Julia was in the lead. She asked hastily once she spotted Lily.


    Lily nced at her and replied nonchntly, ¡°He¡¯s in the ward.¡±


    ¡°How is Mr. Lauriet?


    She was about to leave, but Susan stopped her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you keeping himpany when he¡¯s been injured? Why are you going at thiste hour?¡±

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    Lily gave Susan a <b>look</b>, not bothering to respond to her. She pivoted and took her leave swiftly. Susan stilled<b>, </b>looking utterly mortified. In the end, she fell silent and followed Julia to Loid¡¯s ward.


    ¡°Mr. Laurier<b>, </b>Mrs, Laurier, we¡¯re here to visit Mr. Loid,¡± Jaha said. Noticing that Stn and Mnie were both in the ward, she took on a humble demeanor.


    Mnie shot an indifferent nce at her. She still maintained a polite tone for Lily¡¯s sake nheless. ¡°Thanks for your concem, <b>Mrs. </b>Goldberg.¡±


    Julia nced at Susan, signaling her to present their gifts. Susan immediately produced the gifts and set them on the table. Then, she retreated behind Julia, trying her best to


    appear courteous


    Little did Susan know that Mnie couldn¡¯t be bothered about her. She wouldn¡¯t even spare <b>Susan </b>a nce if it weren¡¯t for Julia ¨CText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure <b>what </b>Mr. Loid prefers, so I bought some nutritional supplements. Please forgive my candor, Mrs. Laurier,¡± <b>Julia </b><b>said </b>politely and smiled.


    ¡°I appreciate your visit, but the gifts are unnecessary. Loid has just undergone surgery, and he won¡¯t need these yet. They might expire before he needs them,¡± Mnie replied.


    Julia froze and Lashed her a sheepish smile. This is just a small token of our concem. Please do <b>ept </b>it, Mrs. Laurier.¡±


    They had upset Lold due to Shannon¡¯s incident before, so Julia was desperate to please them


    The Martinez family¡¯s business had gone downhill after Loid withdrew his investment, and they were bound to go bankrupt if they <b>couldn¡¯t </b>get any funding soon.


    Having established the Martinez Group single¨Chandedly, Julia couldn¡¯t bear to watch it go under. Thus, she had to swallow her pride and seek Lold¡¯s help.


    ¡°Well, thank you then.¡± Mnie didn¡¯t refuse further. She nned to give them another gift after this since she <b>didn¡¯t </b>want to owe them a favor.


    Julia smiled and changed the subject timely. ¡°I saw Lily going out earer. She¡¯s always been reckless and ignorant since she was young, <b>so </b>perhaps she wasn¡¯t aware that she had to stay back and take care of Mr. <b>Loid </b>at this time. Please forgive her for her impudence, Mrs. <b>Laurier</b>.¡±


    Mnie despised the Martinezes, but she endured their visit regardless. Her expression immediately darkened after J criticized Lily.


    even if she wanted to stay, I told her to leave. Are you against my decision?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Goldberg, where Lily goes is her own business. She¡¯s not obligated to take care of Lold M Julia stiffened. ¡°Mrs. Laurier, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I was only worried that Lily might upset you.¡± She thought the Lauriers would¡¯ve been infuriated upon Lily¡¯s departure after Loid¡¯s surgery.


    Loid suffered multiple injuries, but Lily merely left <b>Stefan </b><b>and </b>Mnie with him. Thus, julia brought this tople up intentionally, intending to make Mnie despise Lily and also to disy her humility before Mnie. Little did she expect to tile Mnie up.


    ¡°Lily¡¯s a dear. She¡¯s obedient, thoughtful, and considerate. We care for her more than we can express. Why would we be mad?¡± Mnie rose and met Julia¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°However, you lot seem to have some opinions about her. Do you think her status as a stepdaughter isn¡¯t worthy of your family¡¯s status?¡±


    Julia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Who said that? That isn¡¯t true at all I¡¯ve always treated her as my granddaughter, and I¡¯ve never mistreated her.¡±


    Mnie sneered. ¡°You cam spare me the rest. I don¡¯t need to know what Lily is like from others. She¡¯s my daughter¨Cinw, and I am well aware of what she¡¯s like.¡±


    Trackler and uncouth Inst what did Mnie see in her?

 Chapter 148

    ?Chapter 148


    Julia couldn''tprehend why the Lauriers not only didn''t get furious but they also doted on Lily when, in fact, Shannon was supposed to be engaged to Loid in the first ce.


    "Mrs. Goldberg, you and your family may leave if there isn''t anything else. Loid is still sleeping, and I wouldn''t want anyone to disturb him." Mnie peered at Julia coldly. She sat down with a shuttered expression.


    Stefan had been silent. Given the Martinez family''s status, he didn''t see the need to engage in a conversation with them.


    "We''ll take our leave then," Julia said, nodding politely at Mnie. She left promptly with her family.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    None of the Martinezes managed to speak except for Julia.


    Withdrawing her gaze after they left, Mnie snorted. "Their nerve to brag about their measly schemes in front of me! Never once did they treat Lily well. Yet, now they''re trying to use her name to gain an investment from us. That is some wishful thinking!"


    Stefan peeled an orange for her and chimed in, "Don''t get yourself worked up. Even Lily isn''t affected."


    "How do you know she''s unaffected?" Mnie scowled at him. "She''s used to masking herself with indifference, but deep down she''s still very fragile. As her mother-inw, I won''t let anyone take advantage of her!"


    Stefan remained silent and shook his head. Seemingly lost in thought, Mnie suddenly jerked her head up and eximed solemnly, "I''ve decided!" "What have you decided?" Stefan nced at her, wondering what tricks she had up her sleeve now.


    "I''m going to host a banquet to publicly announce my daughter-inw''s identity!"


    Mnie was resolute. She immediately whisked her phone out, but Stefan stopped her just as she was about to inform her acquaintances in Bridgeport.


    bbergasted, Stefan said, "You should host a banquet at the right time. What''s the point of hosting a banquet now when Loid hasn''t recovered yet?"


    Loid''s eyes suddenly flew open. Rousing from sleep, he said, "Just do as Mom says. Host a banquet."


    He hadn''t fallen into a deep slumber since people had been talking in his ward. He just couldn''t be bothered to open his eyes since Lily wasn''t around.


    Mnie chortled. "See? Even Loid supports my decision."


    Eventually, Stefan was convinced. "Do as you wish."


    "It''s not as daunting as you think. Lily mentioned the poison in Loid''s system will bepletely resolved in ten days. Most of his injuries would''ve been recovered by then. We should seize the opportunity to host the banquet then."


    Winking at Loid, Mnie continued, "I''m not just doing this for Lily-it''s for Loid''s sake as well. Given her superb medical skills, I bet she''ll have lots of suitors if we don''t keep her. What if someone wins her over instead?"


    Stefan pondered for a moment and nodded. "That makes sense."


    "So, we must quickly reveal Lily''s identity. Even if someone wants to pursue her, they''d have to consider whether they could afford to offend the Laurier family." Mnie looked smug, marveling at her own brilliance.


    "You''re right!" Loid nodded.


    Lily was truly stubborn, so he''d have to hold her close to him. Otherwise, she would elude him once he let his guard down. He''d suffer a great loss then.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    At the Maynard <b>residence</b>, Anthony had been anticipating his subordinates return for the entire night. He wasn¡¯t anxious at first, but his anxiety grew the longer he waited for


    them.


    However, when no news came back when the clock struck midnight, he finally lost his cool


    <b>He </b>called his men right away. <b>¡°</b>Go find <b>out </b>what¡¯s going on over there! Why haven¡¯t we received <b>any </b>updates? Does it take this long to deal with a high school student?


    Before he ended his call, he heard a deafening noise from outside.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Anthony hung up and went downstairs. ¡°Who the heck is that in the middle of the night?¡±


    Also startled by the noise, Heather followed him downstairs. She was shocked to <b>discover </b><b>a </b>huge crowd down stairs.


    Equally dumbfounded, Anthony realized that they weren¡¯t his men. He was no match if someone were to attack him now.


    ¡°Scott!¡± he thundered. ¡°Take Heather away first¡±


    Before Scott could respond<b>, </b>a crisp voice came from the door.


    ¡°No one is leaving tonight¡± The crowd dispersed, <b>and </b>a petite girl ambled in. She was dressed in a ck hoodie and a ck cap with the brim pressed low<b>, </b>making it <b>hard </b>for others to discern her features.


    Heather¡¯s expression instantly darkened<b>. </b><b>She </b>wasn¡¯t dead! Having never met Lily, Anthony¡¯s cowled at her for a long time.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you causing a scene at my house?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a fool, Judging by the drastic difference in numbers now, he couldn¡¯t guarantee their escape. The most he could do was to stall <b>and </b>wait for his men to return.


    Lily smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Scrutinizing her face, Anthony said, ¡°Stop beating around the bush. What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°To end your life!¡± Lily met his <b>eyes</b>, a malicious glint flickering in her eyes.


    Anthony¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Many people have said that, but none have done it. What makes you think you¡¯re capable of that?¡±


    He chanced a nce at the people behind Lily. ¡°They can¡¯t eveny a finger on me.¡±


    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>mistaken. I don¡¯t need them to kill you. I can tackle you myself,¡± Lily said, a smirk ying <b>on </b>her lips.


    Anthony roared withughter. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a ridiculous joke. You want to kill me on your own?¡±


    Wary of the people behind her, he figured he might struggle to fend them off. But her alone¡­Anthony sneered at her brazenness.


    Lily shot <b>a </b>nce at him. ¡°I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Lily.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Anthony¡¯s expression changed instantly. If Lily was standing before him, that meant all the men he had dispatched were dead


    Lily saw through him in a heartbeat. ¡°You¡¯re right. All your men are dead.¡±


    With both her hands in her pockets, she continued nonchntly, ¡°Everyone rted to you in Lagersfield is dead. Only those in this house remain, and I¡¯vee to deal with you lot personally.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Anthony gritted out.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter <b>150</b>


    Anthony certainly didn¡¯t expect Ully, a mere high school student, to be capable of killing all his subordinates. She even seemed unfazed.


    Lily pinched her brows and began airily. ¡°They all call me Reese.¡±


    Anthony and Heather froze in an instant, Widening her eyes, Heather gaped at Lily and bellowed, ¡°T¨CThat¡¯s impossible! You¡¯re just a high school student, but Reese is the king of the underground forces! Howe you¡¯re him? You¡¯re lying!!¡±


    Lily sneered ¡°Well, I¡¯m not!¡±


    Staggering backward, Heather mumbled, ¡°<b>I </b><b>don¡¯t </b>believe you. This isn¡¯t true. This isn¡¯t true at all.¡±


    Lily nced up at her, a cold glint flickering in her eyes. Her gaze was shuttered as she stared at Heather.


    ¡°Do you know why <b>I¡¯ve </b>tolerated your nonsense for so long?¡±


    Heather stared at her nkly.


    ¡°I wanted to let you know that the Reese you obey is nothing but a high school student you detested¡± Lily nodded and continued, ¡°Very well I¡¯m quite impressed by your reactions


    She took her hands out of her pocket. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for some action ¡±


    <b>dher</b>


    grip. He struggled to break free,


    but his attempts


    As she spoke, she banged forward and grabbed Anthony¡¯s neck. The <b>color </b>drained from his face instantly as she tightened were in <b>vain</b>. He couldn¡¯t <b>move </b><b>at </b><b>all</b>


    A needle had stricken Anthony the moment Lily charged at <b>him</b>. He was nothing more than a pig in a ughterhouse now. ¡°<b>Dad</b>!¡± Heather shrieked, glowering at Cily, Just as she was about to dash toward Anthony to save him, Lily pinned her down with a needle.


    She turned around and red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. You¡¯re up next¡±


    Immobilized, Heather fixed her furious stare at Lily. It looks could kill, Lily would¡¯ve been dead by now.


    Lily finally released Anthony when he <b>nearly </b>ran out of breath. Allowing him to gasp for a mouthful of air, she tightened her grip on his neck again. He instantly felt like he was about to suffocate. This process was repeated incessantly, rendering him on the brink of death several times.


    wordsN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Anthony finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. He gasped, ¡°R¨CReese¡­I was wrong. Please spare us with his neck in her grip, it took him a strenuous effort to form audible However, Lily was unfazed. ¡°I <b>don¡¯t </b>mind people offending me, but I do not tolerate those who mess with my loved ones. You shouldn¡¯t haveid a finger on my grandma. Nowr that you¡¯ve done it, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences!¡±


    ¡°1-1 didn¡¯t¡­¡± Anthony rolled his eyes, nearly losing consciousness.


    Lily loosened her grip again. Struggling to catch his breath, he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to your grandma. Tonly sent someone to teach you a lesson.¡±


    Lily paused and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not you?¡± Her investigations all led to Anthony¡¯s men. What was going on<b>?</b>


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me. I never intended to kill you I know you¡¯re with Mr. Laurier, so I just instructed them to beat you up to avenge Heather. Why would I take your grandma¡¯s life?¡± Anthony rambled on, appreciating his chance to speak again..


    Lily¡¯s ruthlessness caught him off <b>guard</b>. Without injuring him a single but, her torture nearly drove him mad. Only those who¡¯d danced on the precipice of oblivion <b>could </b>grasp depths of his feelings.


    Anthony wasn¡¯t someone who feared death, but he suddenly felt incredibly grateful for being able to live now, Nothing felt better than being alive. Lily¡¯s gaze darkened. Contemting for a while, she suddenly swerved toward Heather. ¡°Was it you?¡±


    Heather hadn¡¯t nned to admit it at first, but all her rationale gave way to her hatred for Lily


    othe


    ip, and <b>even </bn was following you


    She hollered, ¡°So what if it¡¯s me? I¡¯m a Maynard, and everyone respected and feared me. It¡¯s cantair that you get all the attention once you show up, around like apdog How I wish I could tear you to pieces! You broke my limbs, so you¡¯ll have to pay the price with your grandma¡¯s del¡±

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    Seeing how hysterical Heather was, Lily broke into a fit ofughter. She crouched down and tilted Heather¡¯s chin sp


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be disappointed. My grandma didn¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Heather screamed. ¡°I told them to head to the hospital when you were upied. She couldn¡¯t have survived!¡±


    Lily grinned. ¡°Well, she was on the brink of death. But it seems like I¡¯ve forgotten to tell you¨CI¡¯m actually a doctor too. I saved her life.¡±


    ¡°You-¡°Heather spet <b>a </b>mouthful of blood. Staring at Lily, she was rendered speechless.


    What kind of a monster was she? Not only was she Reese but she was also equipped with superb medical skills. Given her capability, why did she turn up at Ember Creek High School at all? Why did she take the spotlight away from her?


    Inserting the needles into Heather¡¯s body, Lily <b>said </b>coldly, ¡°You can¡¯t die if I don¡¯t n to take your life. I¡¯ll even bring you back <b>to </b>life if you try tomit suicide¡±


    Heather suddenly shoved her aside. Awash in terror, she scrambled backward.


    Lily rose and dusted her hands. Turning toward Clinton, she ordered, ¡°Throw them to the dogfighting plt. Make sure not to let them <b>die</b><b>.</b>¡±


    She spun around, staring at Anthony and Heather. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you. Being alive is worse torturepared to being killed. 1 want both of you to live in distress for the rest of your lives.¡°!Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Shuddering behind her, Shaun and Daniel exchanged nces. They were determined to remain silent. Even Loid had never implemented such ruthless methods.


    Lily was truly vicious. <b>As </b>a result, Shaun didn¡¯t dare topare her past self with her current sell. The difference between her public and private personas was jarring. But still, she was Reese. It was undeniable that her brutality led her to conquer the underground forces of Arsion and Lagersfield City.


    ¡°N<b>¨C</b>No!¡± Recalling what <b>would </b>ur at the pit, Heather crawled toward Lily <b>frantically</b>. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have targeted your grandma. Please spare me! I won¡¯t do it


    <b>again</b>.¡±


    Lily seemed indifferent as she kicked her aside. ¡°Spare you? You don¡¯t deserve my mercy!¡± She left promptly with her men.


    Once she took her leave with the huge crowd, the mansion suddenly seemed eerily empty..


    Lily leaned against the car backseat after she exited the Maynard residence. Her expression remained shuttered.


    ¡°Take me back to Anmer Heights.¡± She¡¯d been involved in too much kiting today, she yearned for a shower to unwind.


    Daniel concurred and left for Anmer Heights. None of them spoke during the way. Although Shaun intended to speak, the tension in the car intimidated him. He couldn¡¯t muster the courage to speak


    He finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer when they almost reached Anmer Heights. Turning toward Lily, he pressed his lips together and asked. ¡°The Maynards are a bunch of fuckers, but you could¡¯ve just killed them if you wanted to avenge your grandma. Why did you have to torture them? Isn¡¯t it too much?¡±


    Shaun often participated in perilous missions with Loid and was no stranger to ruthless approaches. Frankly, he didn¡¯t think Lily¡¯s decision was a mistake. He was merely worried about her well¨C<b>being </b>since she bad already adopted such cruel practices at a young age.


    Lily nced at him and replied nonchntly, ¡°Yeah.¡± She didn¡¯t object to his assumptions because she simply couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    Sensing that she was in no mood to entertain his questions, Shaun refrained from asking further questions.


    Lily turned her head to the side. As she watched the scenery outside the window, her expression <b>hardened</b>.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    Lily didn¡¯t deny Shaun¡¯s statement. <b>She </b>admitted that she was cruel, indeed. Having lived through dire circumstances since she was 15, she was well aware that her survival depended on cruelty. If shecked brutality, others would only be more cruel to her.


    The only good thing about her was that she still hadn¡¯t lost all sense of humanity. Her ruthlessness was only targeted at those who were wicked.


    After sending Lily back to Anmer Heights, Shaun and Daniel lett for the hospital promptly. Stefan and Mnie took their leave upon their arrival. Soon, only Lold, <b>Shaun</b>, and Daniel remained in the ward.


    <b>Shaun </b>pulled up <b>a </b><b>chair </b>and sat by Loid¡¯s bedside. Overwhelmed with tion, he began, ¡°Loid, I¡¯ve got some big news!¡±


    Loid arched his brows, and his expression turned sullen. How could Shaun have the nerve to focus on the news when he¡¯d been badly injured?


    Shaun <b>gave </b>no heed to him, nheless. He continued in haste, ¡°Lily is the legendary Reese! And she¡¯s exceptionally skilled. She could even immobilize people with her needles- <b>she </b>literally immobilized 500 people in a few moves!¡±


    He sprang up excitedly and rambled on, ¡°Immobilizing people! Can you imagine that? She sealed their acupoints, just like what you see in movies. Those people couldn¡¯t even budge an inch! She incapacitated them on her own <b>and </b>had them deported back to their separate cities.


    ¡°Also, the Maynards took on Lily today. They tried to assassinate Madam Hutchinson, but they were thrown into the dogfighting pit instead. She wanted them to live the rest of their lives in despair.¡±


    As Shaun spoke, <b>he </b>became incoherent with excitement. He thought Loid was already a genius. Having joined the troop at the age of 16 and established a business empire when he was 19, Lold remained a big shot in several countries. No one dared to mess with him except for the Hidden Families.


    Yet, Lily blew Shaun¡¯s mind. At the age of only 19, she amazed him with her superb medical skills and exceptionalbat skills. She was also the ruler of the underground forces of two cities. At this point, her growth rivaled Loid¡¯s


    Shaun once boasted that he could beat Lily. Now, he figured he¡¯d probably be disabled before he even made a move in their fight Patting his chest in perpetual fear, he was thankful that Lily wasn¡¯t his foe. Otherwise, she¡¯d be an extremely formidable opponent, even more so than the Hidden Families.


    Loid narrowed his eyes. But soon, a smirk shed across his face.


    Surprising yet expected¨CLily was truly his fianc¨¦e, indeed. She was one of a kind.


    ¡°Loid, do you think she¡¯s too cruel to the Maynards?¡±


    Shaun¡¯s excitement dampened, and he plopped back to his seat. ncing up at him, Loid gave him an indifferent <b>look</b>.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯d be even more cruel than ber!¡±


    Loid didn¡¯t think she was being ruthless by avenging Belinda. She was merely retaliating after being attacked. If Belinda died tonight, would anyone use the Maynards of being


    nuchless?


    One had to be cruel to survive in their world. Adopting brutality before others could be cruel to them was how they survived. Still, it was a shame that Lily was so mighty that she didn¡¯t need Loid¡¯s protection. He¡¯d rather be the vicious one if she could be a little softer.


    Shaun was rendered speechless. He finally flicked a thumbs up at Loid after a long while.


    ¡°Damn! You guys are indeed a perfect match


    Leaning back on the bed, <b>Loid </b>asked casually, ¡°Did she only send the Maynards to the dogfighting pit?


    Shaun <b>nodded</b>. ¡°She said this is the best punishment¡±


    Loid dropped his gaze Hemet <b>Shaun¡¯s </b>eyes briefly after and said, ¡°Take over all of the Maynard family¡¯s legal and <b>illegal </b>businesses and transfer them to Lily¡¯s name. She¡¯s <b>done </b>so much for me, and it¡¯s about time for me to give her a grand gift.¡±


    Shaun.concurred, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll work on it now.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    The next day, the entire Lagersfield City knew that something significant happened in the city. <b>The </b>Maynard family, which ranked third in the city, had fallen. No one knew why; they only learned that the Maynard residence was already empty when they woke up.


    The news soon reported that the Maynard family¡¯s assets had all been acquired by an anonymous individual. The Maynards, who were once glorious, vanished overnight.


    The Armstrong family was petrified upon hearing the news. Harrison was relieved that he listened to Maxwell and sent Alexis abroad. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve faced the <b>same </b>fate. He immediately rang Alexis up, once again warning her not to provoke Lily.


    Lily didn¡¯t go to school and applied for leave. She had to personally tend to Lold¡¯s condition for these few days. Although the bullets in Belinda¡¯s body had been removed, the poison had also begun to spread. She had to stay in the hospital to control the dispersal of the poison


    In the morning, Mnie arrived promptly after the chet brought Lily her breakfast.


    ¡°Lily, take your breakfast first I¡¯ll send you to schoolter.¡±


    Mnie wasn¡¯t aware that Lily had to oversee Loid¡¯s condition, so she thought Lily had to go to school. Seeing that Loid was still hospitalized, she offered to send her to school Lily was momentarily stunned. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mnie. I¡¯m not going to school¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to school?¡± Slightly dumbfounded, Mnie continued, ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>fine. You¡¯ve been exhaustedtely. You could use some rest.


    Lily massaged her temples. ¡°Actually, <b>I </b>have to treat Loid.¡±


    Lily¡¯s concern for Loid took Mnie by surprise, and her smile widened. That¡¯s right. Now that you¡¯re engaged, you should spend more time developing feelings for each other.¡± Lily smiled and remained silent. After breakfast, Mnie took her to the hospital. She suddenly remembered something and began, ¡°oh, right<b>, </b>I n to host a banquet to publicly announce your rtionship with Loid. We weren¡¯t present at your engagementst time. Since we¡¯re all here now, we should celebrate with a banquet.¡±


    Lily fell silent. Was it necessary to make it so grand?


    Sensing her silence, Mnie thought she was upset. She continued hastily, ¡°But it still depends on you. We won¡¯t host it if you¡¯re against this idea¡±


    Although Mnie was eager to let everyone know that Lily was her daughter¨Cinw, she had to consider her feelings. She knew Lily disliked grandeur, so she wouldn¡¯t want upset herText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do as you see fit¡± Lily was disinterested in such affairs. She wouldn¡¯t refuse if Mnie liked them nheless.


    Mnie heaved a sigh of relief and beamed at her. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it turns out well for you! I¡¯ll take you to buy a gown in a couple of days. You¡¯re already gorgeous, to begin with, and you¡¯d surely stun everyone with a touch of styling.¡±


    Lily was bbergasted. Thest thing she wanted was to stun everyone,


    Pressing her lips together, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t think a gown is necessary, right? What I¡¯m wearing now will do.<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°It is necessary!¡± Mnie <b>looked </b><b>solemn</b>. ¡°I want everyone to see how exceptional you are, Lily. I¡¯m not saying your clothes aren¡¯t nice, but I think you deserve better. Well, you basically need <b>a </b>new dress. I¡¯ll personally choose one for you¡±


    ¡°Fine¡± Lly eventually gave in


    <b>Susan </b>would¡¯ve been outraged if she were here. No matter how <b>she </b>coaxed and coerced Lilly into changing her clothes, Lily refused toply. <b>Yet</b>, Lily agreed to Mnie¡¯s suggestion without any excessive persuasion. The difference in treatment was just too great.


    Mnie was delighted, humming along the way to the hospital


    Shaun and Daniel were also present when they arrived at the hospital Stefan couldn¡¯te because he had to attend to work


    Sering how Mnie and Lily entered Loid¡¯s ward together, Shaun couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Mnie, you¡¯re too smooth. Look at how eager you are <b>to </b>appease your daughter¨Cin- low when your <b>son </b>is still being hospitalized.¡±

 Chapter 154

    Chapter <b>154</b>


    Mnie bonked him on the head and chided, ¡°You little rascal! How dare you make fun of me? Careful, I might tell your dad and ask him to teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Please<b>, </b>Mnie! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Shaan begged timely. Mnie chuckled, notmenting any further.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily went up to Loid and took his pulse. Confirming that his condition was stable, she produced her acupuncture needles and looked at him.


    ¡°Take off your clothes and lie with your face de


    down¡±


    Loid had been taking herbal medicine and medicated baths. The baths were very effective, having beested his immunity by improving his physique. Although he was poisoned, the poison had yet to enter his organs. He only fell into aa yesterday because he lost too much blood from the gunshot wounds.


    At this point, he no longer needed herbal medicine. Acupuncture itself would do the work


    Loidy on the bed obediently, and Lily gently inserted the needles into his body. Looking at their harmonious interaction, Mnie smiled.


    ¡°I just remembered that I have something to attend to. Lily, please take good care of Loid,¡± she said, striding toward the door.


    A pang of frustration shot through her when she saw Shaun and Daniel still nted in their seats.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys leaving?


    Shaun was stunned ¡°Why should we? We¡¯re not busy after all¡±


    Mnie itched to crack his head open and sift through his thoughts. Couldn¡¯t he tell that she was trying to let Lily and Loid spend some time together?


    ¡°Just leave when I tell you to. Why do you have so many questions?¡± Exasperated, Mnie dragged Shaun out of the ward.


    Daniel, however, <b>was </b>perceptive enough to realize <b>her </b>intentions. He quickly trailed after her and lett.


    Only Lily and Loid were left in the ward. Neither of them spoke, and the ward was so silent that even the faintest drop of a needle could be heard.


    Having Lily in intimate proximity allowed Loid to hear herbored breathing clearly. His expression fell as he rasped, ¡°Are you tired?*


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Lily replied absently, her toneced with exhaustion.


    It¡¯d been years since she handled such gruesome incidents. Her temper had improved <b>a </b>lot ever since she came to Lagersfield City because she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. However, severalplications still caught up to her. It started off with Belinda¡¯s casest night, followed by Loid¡¯s predicament.


    Swamped with the responsibilities <b>of </b>nursing people back to health and resolving issues, she felt utterly overwhelmed. She wasn¡¯t physically worn cut; her mind was exhausted instead. How she wished she could leave the bustling city behind and reside in an idyllic ce with the love of her life.


    But in the end, this was merely a dream. Reality didn¡¯t allow her to have such dreams.


    ¡°Rest if you¡¯re tired. You could take a nap beside meter, and I¡¯ll make sure not to let anyone disturb you¡± Loid felt sorry for her, but he couldn¡¯t find a better way tofort her.


    She didn¡¯t necessarily need anyfort due to her resilient nature.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lily concurred and remained silent.


    Once she finished inserting needles into the acupoints on his back, she began working on his front. Two prominent gunshot wounds on his chest greeted her instantly once he turned around. Another wound was on his abdomen, and he had one on his waist as well. These were all fatal spots.


    Lily faltered and stared at Loid. She drawled out, ¡°You¡¯re really lucky.¡± No one else but him could survive soch <b>injuries</b>.


    Loid smirked. ¡°I¡¯m only lucky because <b>you¡¯re </b>with me.¡±

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    Lily shot <b>Loid </b><b>a </b>re. She suddenly inserted a needle into his acupoint.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Loid shrieked ¡°Are you trying to murder your <b>husband</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Producing another needle, Lily asked indifferently, ¡°Why did you go to Aston when your poison hasn¡¯t been resolved?¡±


    ¡°I found out that one of the Hidden Families<b>, </b>the Albotts, had a stalk of Redushil. My attempt to steal it was in vain,¡± Loid said innocently.


    Lily froze, feeling somewhat baffled ¡°If it¡¯s that easy to obtain Redushil, I wouldn¡¯t have dyed Grandma¡¯s treatment <b>until </b>now. Given your brilliance, I certainly didn¡¯t expect you to be as foolish <b>as </b>Shaun is¡±


    Clearing his throat, Loid continued, ¡°The Albors did have the <b>Redushil </b>with them, but I was toote. They¡¯ve already given it to someone else.¡±


    His expression grew sheepish as he exined, ¡°I was kidding earlier. I didn¡¯t attempt to steal it¨CI went to <b>buy </b>it from them.¡±


    Loid was aware that the Weiss family¡¯s Redushil couldn¡¯t be bought, no matter what price was offered. Redushil was scarce, yet many families coveted it. Seeing how even the Hidden Families desired it, the Weisses were naturally reluctant to <b>sell </b>it to <b>others</b>. <b>Auctioning </b>it filled their pockets to the brim instead.


    Also, Loid knew how much Lily cared for Belinda and Jason. She didn¡¯t <b>want </b>to give up on either <b>of </b><b>them</b>. Thus<b>, </b><b>he </b>secretly had people investigate the whereabouts of the Redushil, only to discover that the Albotts had already sold it to someone else a month ago. He could only retum empty¨Chanded.


    A surge of mixed emotions flooded through Lily as she met Lood¡¯s eyes. Knowing that leaving Lagersfield Cry would impend danger upon him, he still went to help her acquire the Redushil nheless. His dedication made her heart ache.


    The acupuncture treatment was soon over Loid put on his clothes and took Lily¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Do you wanna take a nap?¡± he asked warmly.


    Lily nodded and climbed up his bed after removing her shoes. She hadn¡¯t slept at allst night. Suffering from severe insomnia, she was usually fine, but she would stay up all night if she felt troubled.


    Her condition had improved tremendously because of Loid recently. Sleeping next to him seemingly made her feel at ease.


    Taking Lily in his embrace, Loid noticed how her <b>body </b>curled up <b>like </b><b>a </b>kitten when she slept. As he stroked her <b>hair </b>gently, she fell into a deep slumber in his arms.


    It was already afternoon when she woke up.


    Loid scooped her up in his arms once she was awake. ¡°You must be hungry.¡±


    Lily tensed, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. She blushed and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Loid sat her on the chair and said, ¡°Mom made you your favorite barbecue ribs. She noticed you liked this dish the most when we ate at homest <b>time</b><b>, </b>so she made you extra Have some and see if you like it¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Still looking somehow awkward, Lily lowered her head and took a bite of the ribs. ¡°They¡¯re delicious<b>!</b>¡± she had been deliberately suppressing her restlessness.


    Loid didn¡¯t eat much. He¡¯d watched her eat the whole time, asionally feeding her a few bites and pouring her <b>a </b>ss of water. He was incredibly thoughtful.


    He had someone clear the table after lunch, and <b>be </b>carried Lily back to bed again.


    Lily sat upright. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep.¡± She was about to get out of bed, but Loid held her tightly.


    He was unwilling to let go. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept enough yet.¡±


    Lily was at a loss for words. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep earlier?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous. I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was busy looking at you,¡± Lold stated <b>firmly</b>.


    Rendered speechless, Lily wondered whether he had damaged his brain on his trip to Aston


    ¡°I¡¯m still injured, and I won¡¯t be able to hold out if I don¡¯t sleep. Are you really going to be that cruel? Loid whispered, <b>leaning </b>against her shoulder.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter <b>156</b>


    Lily turned toward him and stiffened her lips. She fell silent and finally leaned back against the bed.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sleep then.¡±


    A triumphant smile crossed Loid¡¯s face. ¡°I want to hold you when <b>I </b>sleep.¡±


    ring at him, Lily <b>snapped</b>, ¡°Don¡¯t try to take advantage of the situation!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m cold!¡± Loid snuggled closer to her. ¡°You¡¯re warm.¡±


    Feeling utterly resigned, Lily muttered, ¡°fast hurry up and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    <b>Lold </b>closed his eyes for a while and opened them shortly after. ¡°My mom said that once my poison ispletely cleared, she wants to host a banquet to announce our rtionship


    Lily nodded. ¡°Mnie told me about it.¡±


    ¡°So that means you admit that you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e¡± Loid sat up and pulled her into his arms


    Still absorbed in her thoughts, Lily hadn¡¯t noticed that she was nestling in his embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to please Mnie,¡± she drawled out after <b>a </b>long while.


    Loid sighed just how long would it take for her to bare her emotions to him?


    *Mom will be delighted. She wants me to marry you.¡± Loid smirked. ¡°Even so, are you still willing to make her happy and go along with it?¡±


    Lily nced at him and suddenly realized something. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡±


    Loid fell silent. It appeared that he couldn¡¯t get the response he anticipated


    ¡°I have a gift for you.¡± He withdrew a file from the drawer at the bedside table and handed it to Lily. ¡°All the Maynard family¡¯s properties have been transferred to your name. Reese, you¡¯ll have to protect me from now on!¡± He beamed at her.


    Staring at his bright smile, Lily was momentarily stunned. She snapped back to her senses shortly after and stated indifferently, ¡°I can¡¯t ept such filth. Do whatever you want with it.¡±


    The Maynards nearly incurred Belinda¡¯s death. She absolutely wouldn¡¯t use a single penny from their ounts.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have Shaun cash it all out and donate it to an orphanage in your name,¡± Loid said. He had a gist that she wouldn¡¯t ept it, but he still had <b>to </b>inquire her opinion. Since she didn¡¯t want it, there was no need to keep it either.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily said. She suddenly turned around, her gaze lingering on him before she arched her brows. Smirking, she continued, ¡°Lold, it seems like you¡¯re not nning to sleep.¡±


    Loid froze and cleared his throat swiftly. ¡°Now that you¡¯re with me, I suddenly can¡¯t sleep¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave then.¡±


    Loid instantly tightened his grip around her when she was about to leave his bed. Propping his head against her shoulder, he murmured in a baritone voice, ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Let me hold you for awhile. I was so afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you again when I was being pursued<b>.</b>¡±


    Lily stilled and remained silent. In an instant, silence nketed the room as neither of them spoke


    After a few minutes, she tilted her head and nced at Loid, ¡°You could¡¯ve just sought treatment at a nearby hospital. Why risk your life to return?¡±


    ¡°You told me even if I die, I should¡¯ve died here! Loid rumbled.


    Lily¡¯s heart seemingly skipped a beat. She was rendered silent for a long while. Finally, she began in a strained voice, ¡°Should we date? Her face became flushed


    Loid jerked his head up and stared at her in astonishment. ¡°Are you serious?


    youran take it as a joke as well. Lily began to regret her decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking it seriously,¡± Loid sat up and took her into an embrace ¡°You can¡¯t take it back now.¡±

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    Lily stayed at the hospital in the following days. Mnie and Stefan also didn¡¯te and disturb them either.


    Due to her being absent from school for a few days<b>, </b>rumors about her grew rampant. <b>Some </b>people said that she was rted to the <b>Maynards</b>¡® downfall, while others imed that the Maynards killed her during her confrontation with them. Basically, there were all sorts of versions regarding her fate.


    Cold <b>was </b>finally discharged from the hospital after 10 days. His poison had beenpletely resolved as well. On the day he was discharged<b>, </b>Stefan and Mnie took them to the hotel, intending to wee them back. Mnie had also sent out invitations for a banquet scheduled thating Saturday. Evidently, Lily was going to be the star of the banquet.


    Initially, Mnie didn¡¯t intend to invite the Martinez family. She loathed them and couldn¡¯t even stand sparing them a nce. Still, she had to invite them to this banquet. She had to show them how brilliant Lily was.


    At the Martinez residence, Shannon was glowering at the invitation. Her pretty face grew contorted with rage. She couldn¡¯t believe that the Lauriers actually intended to host <b>a </b>banquet for Lily.


    How could they? That shut! How could she?


    They¡¯d ruined her life, yet they had the audacity to host a banquet. Growing resolute, <b>she </b>decided that she wouldn¡¯t let them have their


    way.


    It was still bright out when Lily <b>and </b>Loid exited the hospital. Taking her <b>hand </b>naturally, Loid turned to her and asked warmly, ¡°Shall I take you around?¡±


    He remembered that he hadn¡¯t shown her around Lagersfield City despite her having spent a <b>considerable </b>amount of time here. They had been so busy


    A gust of <b>cold </b>breeze whooshed past Lily, and she shuddered ¡°Sure,¡±


    Removing his coat, Lold draped it over her and pulled her into his arms. <b>¡°</b>Shall we shop for some clothes? You don¡¯t seem to have a lot of outfits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± <b>Lily </b>seemed unfazed. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome.¡±


    Already used to hernguorous way of living, she adapted a simr manner in dressing up as well Hoodies worked best for her. Their simple and loose designs not only allowed her to store her needle pouch, but she could also move freely in them.


    Loid¡¯s gaze softened. Holding her hand, he headed straight to the mall nearby. They went directly to the women¡¯s clothing section. He picked a few suitable outfits and bought them swiftly without having Lily try them on.


    Lily was dumbfounded, but she didn¡¯t stop him nheless. He could have his way if it pleased him.


    In <b>less </b><b>than </b>ten minutes, around 20 sales assistants trailed after them, their hands filled with several bags of Loid¡¯s purchases.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Casting envious nces at Lily, some of them remarked, ¡°<b>She¡¯s </b>so lucky to have such a rich boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! He literally spent millions in one go¨Can amount I could <b>never </b>earn in this lifetime.¡°¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not envy her. Didn¡¯t you see how gorgeous she is? Her looks could even put a celebrity¡¯s appearance to shame. It¡¯s only natural for her to find a wealthy boyfriend.¡±


    With <b>a </b>flurryof whispers echoing from behind Lily, her expression grew sullen.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    Lily <b>took </b>a few steps and halted. Then, she looked at Loid expressionlessly. ¡°Are you sick or something?¡±


    She just wanted toe out for a stroll after eating too much. She didn¡¯t expect Lold would take her to the mall and buy her so many clothes. Did she look <b>like </b>shecked clothes


    to wear?


    ¡°I was, but you cured me¡± Loid smiled and lifted Lily¡¯s hand. He was bearning so widely that his eyes were reduced to slits.


    It was rare for Lily not to oppose him bringing her out in public and showering her with attention. Because of this, he was in a very good mood.


    Lily, on the other hand, was rendered speechless


    She crossed her arms over her chest and raised <b>a </b>brow at him. Next, er of her <b>rosy </b>lips lifted into a teasing smirk. ¡°Laid, you¡¯re still under probation.¡±


    Loid instantly stopped smiling and changed into a more solemn expression. ¡°Sorry, Reese¡±


    Lily chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything else. After that, Loid behaved more like a normal person. He no longer insisted on buying Lily all sorts of things.


    They had just reached the mall entrance when Lily¡¯s phone started ringing. It was a call from Anya.


    ¡°Lily, our school is having an art festival tomorrow. Will you being to watch our performance?¡± Anya asked.


    Lily thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Sure!¡±


    The banquet was on the day after tomorrow<b>, </b>so she had time to spare for the next day.


    ¡°Really? Awesome!¡± Anya eximed. Then, she added, ¡°Be there by 10:00 am tomorrow. See you.


    Lily replied with a faint ¡°Yeah¡± and hung up.


    Loid tool Lily to a restaurant for dinner. Since nothing else was going on that night, they decided to call it a day. They slept on the same bed, but Loid didn¡¯t make any advances. He thought that Lily was still young and shouldn¡¯t start having sex so soon.


    a young woman who was


    still


    The next morning, streaks of golden light rose in the east. They streamed through the transparent ss of the windows and shone on the face of <b>ay </b>sleeping soundly.


    Despite having her eyes closed, Lily could feel the bright light shining on her<b>, </b>causing her eyes difort. She lifted <b>a </b><b>hand </b>to block the light and turned to the other side. Upon burning, she found Loid watching her with his head propped on his arm.


    She smiled and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too pretty. I just wanted to take a good look at you whenever I can.¡± Lold lifted his other hand to pat her several times on the head. His voice was gentle as he asked, ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯Ecook¡±


    ¡°You know how to cook? Lily was somewhat surprised.


    She had never really bothered to understand Loid more. Besides knowing that he was the eldest son of the Laurier family and the other information listed in his profile, she didn¡¯t know much about him.


    Lily got up slowly and pondered that it was time for her to put in some effort and get to know Laid better.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°I picked it up when I was living away from home.¡± Loid smiled. ¡°I¡¯m quite good at cooking. You¡¯ll get to try it <b>in </b>a while.¡±


    ¡°okay¡± Lily got out of bed and pulled the curtains apart. Sunlight filled the room, wamming her body.


    Looking at the azure sky outside, Lily raised her head slightly and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. She had not felt this refreshed and unburdened for a very long time. The air of aggressiveness she exuded was all but gone.


    Loid walked over to her and circled his lean arms around her waist with his chin on her shoulder, he said softly, <b>¡°</b>Promise me you won¡¯t do the fighting yourself again.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want her to always be so aggressive; he just wanted her to be happy.


    Lily turned her head, causing her cheek to touch Loid¡¯s lips. She felt slightly awkward and quickly turned back. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Loid put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Under the sunlight, her face looked delicate. Even without any makeup, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Her lowered eyes and long eyshes made Loid¡¯s heart skip a beat


    Her lips were tempting him. Lold could feel raging desire burning at the back of his throat.


    As their eyes met, Laly blushed. She was about to turn around, but Loid suddenly held her in ce and went in for a kiss.


    Lily blinked twice in surprise. Her body stiffenedpletely like she was a statue.


    Lood¡¯s tongue reached in and found that her teeth were clenched tightly as if she were nervous. He opened his eyes and saw the beads of sweat gliding down her checks.


    He found this endearing and a little funny. Lily wasn¡¯t afraid of anything, but this kiss startled her to no end. It wasn¡¯t like he would devour her.


    Lod reached up and held the back of her head. His cool lips whispered into her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡±

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    oming so widely that hh eyes wer moluend!


    thamiring her with attent


    Theme at this, he is a very good m


    alling and changed imam soleno expresie Smov, Reese¡®


    stad, on bigging, Lilyati samsat i


    The banquet war on the day


    ¡°Really? Aweso==¡± ¡± Arms waimed Then, she added. ¡°Be there by si poz


    Light, they decided to catada. The age at the same bit, bat Loid didn¡¯t malin any advance. He


    Lot pollen lightscar in the edit. Thi


    weed thing, the t


    int the windows and shine on


    sleeping sulyMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    vyes cloned, Lily could feel the higher light shine


    thead propped on hikam


    polig shy and poederste at it we time he be to pr


    Spiraalked over in her and chooled his lear


    nund her waist. With his chin an her shoulder, he


    Hobart kuud her to always be an aggreve, he just wanted bristeluja,


    ituused to due other side. Upon


    (makeup, she looked birallitak z gly


    Chapter 159


    Chapter 159


    Lily shivered, feeling <b>like </b>she was hit by a jolt of electricity. Her heart beat picked up.


    Loid¡¯s actions were gentle, and his touch was light. His slim fingers traveled from the back of her head to her earlobe and then to her neck. Then, they slid down and settled on her corbone


    She was very skinny, so her corbone stood out prominently. The temperature in the room seemed to rise rapidly


    Lold¡¯s tongue explored every part of her mouth. Lily felt her body getting hotter and hotter.


    Just as the two of them were about to take their intimacy one step further, Loid stopped suddenly. Between hemy breaths, he said, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time yet. You¡¯re still young and not done growing¡±


    Lily avoided his gaze and cleared her throat a little. ¡°Ahem¡­I¨CI¡¯m going to wash my face.¡±


    Her face was beet red, and she looked flustered. She had never kissed anybody before. Loid was her first boyfriend. This kind of sensation was new to her, and she didn¡¯t know


    what to make of it


    Watching her flushed face, Loid beamed even more widely. It was rare that Lily would be this shy.


    He then went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast soon after. It was nothing fancy. Brealdast consisted of some bread, milk, and a few side dishes.


    After Lily was done washing up and getting ready, she went downstairs. Loid served her the food and went upstairs to wash up as she ate


    He sent Lily to school after breakfast


    As the high school was having its annual art festival, lessons were suspended for the day. Due to the sheer number of students in the school, the art festival was held at the sports field<b>.</b>


    Lily <b>called </b>Anya and went to the back of the stage. Anya and the others were having their makeup done. She got up exiredly to greet Lily when she saw her.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Lily! Inearly thought you weren¡¯ting.¡± said Anya.


    *Icame to take a look as I promised,¡± Lily replied with a faint nod.


    She looked around the dressing room. The students from the other sses were done potting on their makeup and had gone out. There were only students from ss 18 and ss


    1 left in there<b>.</b>


    Shannon and Shelby were there too.


    Shannon gave Lily a nce <b>and </b>retracted her gaze coldly. After what happened at Anmer Heightsst time, she behaved indifferently toward Lily and didn¡¯t bother to be <b>on </b>good


    terms with her.


    She showed a hint of disdain as her eyesnded on Lily for a fleeting moment. Then, she scoffed and ignored her.


    Lily retracted her gaze with a stole expression, appearing cool and collected as always.


    ¡°Where have you been all this time, Lily?¡± Tan was done with his makeup. He pulled Lily aside and asked in a low voice, ¡°I heard that you <b>have </b>something to do with the Maynard family going bankrupt is that true?¡±


    Lily nced at him and said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It was really you? Oh, no. <b>You¡¯re </b>doomed, Lily. The Maynard family works for Reese, a prominent figureof the underground forces. You¡¯d better run, or Reese wille for you very soon.


    H


    Lily remained silent and shot <bn </b>an unamused look. After that, she <b>didn¡¯t </b>speak to him anymore but found somewhere to sit down and scroll through her phone


    Jan scratched his head, perplexed about the look Lily gave him. Did he <b>say </b>something wrong?


    Then again, the Maynard family was indeed attted with Reese. Why wasn¡¯t Lily worried at all?


    <b>on </b>the stage, the emere made a brief introduction and weed the first performer toe <b>on </b>stage, ss 18 was thest to go on ss I was performing before them.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    As many others were performing before them, ss 1 and <b>ss </b>I waited for their turns in the dressing room. The two sses had always been at loggerheads. None of them spoke to each other despite sharing <b>the </b>room. <b>So</b><b>, </b>it was very quiet.


    Finally, it was ss 1¡¯s turn to perform. They were doing a uniform dance. The choreography was quite innovative, and everyone matched the rhythm of the <b>music </b>very well. I was pretty impressive for high school students to be able to give this level of performance.


    Coupled with the fact that it was Shannon leading the dance, the apuse for their performance seemed in go on forever.


    When they were done, the judges revealed their <b>score</b>¨Cthey got 0.5 This was the highest score so far.


    Alter ss I got down from the stage, it was now ss 18¡¯s turn to perform


    Lily went to sit in the dience


    Anya followedn as they made their way on stage. It was dark backstage, so she couldn¡¯t quite see where she was going When she was about to get on stage, she tripped on something and lost her bnce. Then, she fell on the stairs.


    Tan was shocked. He quickly helped Anya up and asked with a <b>frown</b>, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Anya bit her bottom lip due to the pain shooting op from her leg, Tears shimmered <b>in </b>her <b>eyes </b>as she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°What do we do? We can¡¯t dance without you,¡±n said worriedly.


    The people from ss walked away uncaringly without batting an eye. No one came to check on Anya¡¯s feet at all.


    With her head lowered, Anya suddenly thought of something Shecalled out loudly, ¡°Shannon!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Shannon, who was walking ahead, halted her steps. She turned to give Anya a puzzled look. ¡°What?


    ¡°Why did you trip me up? Anya confronted her angry.


    Shannon was stunned for a moment and showed an aggrieved expression. ¡°What are you saying? I was going my way and didn¡¯t evene into contact with you. Why are you. saying that <b>tripped </b>you up?¡±


    *Don¡¯t think that you can nder others <b>as </b>you wish just because Lily is backing you up in school!¡± Shelby retorted


    <b>With </b>her head held high, she exuded an air of haughtiness. She added, ¡°You fell down on your own because you didn¡¯t watch where you were going. <b>Don¡¯t </b>wrongly use Shannon. Don¡¯t go running your mouth when you don¡¯t have the evidence to back you up!¡±


    Shelby had seen Shannon extending her leg to trip Anya up earlier. But of course, she sided with her cousin.


    ¡°You!¡± Anya pointed at Shelby in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m <b>not </b>throwing baseless usations. It was Shannon who tripped me! She did it on purpose!¡±


    Shannonughed at that. ¡°<b>I </b>did it on purpose? What? Do I have a grudge with you? Why would <b>I </b>do that? Are you implying that I tripped you up because I think ss 18¡¯s performance is better than ss 1¡¯s and want to sabotage you?¡±


    ¡°L..¡± Anya lowered her head, unable to find the words to refute her.


    was right ss 1¡¯s score was 9.5, which meant they


    It was indeed Shannon who made her fall down she believed that Shannon didn¡¯t want ss 18 to perform too, but Shannon was rig were practically the winner. In view of this, they had no reason to sabotage ss 18


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Just as neither ss was willing to back down, Lily appeared at the scene. Wearing a ck hoodie, she scanned everyone¡¯s taces coolly. The tone of her voice was even, but it <b>carried </b>weight and authority.


    The emcee had called for ss 18 toe on stage several times, but they still didn¡¯t show up. Lily knew something was amiss and made her way backstage.


    Sean quickly came over to her and exined the situation


    Lily squinted and bent down to check on Anya¡¯s ankle. With a frown<b>, </b>she remarked, ¡°It¡¯s all swollen.¡±


    ¡°Can she still dance? tan asked anxiously.


    ¡°No.¡± Lily straightened up and put her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie..


    Her sharp gazended on Shannon, which made her feel unsettled


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Anya was <b>very </b>anxious too. ¡°We¡¯ve practiced for <b>so </b>long. It¡¯d be a waste to give up our performance entirely.¡±


    ¡°Get Lily to take your ce. She¡¯s so smart. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mess it up. Right, Lily? Shannon interjected, looking at Lily with a faint smile Lilowel her eyes at Shannon. After awhile<b>, </b>she smirked <b>and </b>said,


    t?rannon was taken aback, but she quickly recovered and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll be watching your spectacr performance in the

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    After ss 1 left, everyone in ss 18 locked grim


    Anya¡¯s eyes were lowered. After a long time, she looked at Lily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go. You <b>don¡¯t </b>know the moves. Shannon wants to see you <b>make </b>a tool of yourself. I just sprained my ankle. I can still dance¡±


    Lily handed her phone to Anya and insisted, ¡°I go.<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°But you don¡¯t even know the moves.¡± Anya was on the verge of breaking down into tears,N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    She hated herself for not being more careful. If she had paid more attention, Shannon wouldn¡¯t have managed to trip her. Lily wouldn¡¯t have to take her ce either.


    Lily patted her shoulder to reassure her. She turned to look at tan and the others.


    ¡°You guns just dance as you¡¯ve practiced. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± she said.


    Lan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Alright. Now that it¡¯se to this, we can¡¯t stay here forever and not go on stage. Lily, you stand in the back and try to stay out of the judges¡® sight, I know Anya¡¯s moves. I¡¯ll adjust my position to make up for it ordingly.¡±


    Each of them had their assigned spots. During their practices, they had only focused on their own parts. Though tan remembered Anya¡¯s moves, he hadn¡¯t done it with the music apaniment. He had no choice but to bite the bullet in their predicament.


    Lily <b>gave </b>him a look and said nothing. She went on to the stage right away. Ian and the others followed behind.


    Soon, the music started Lily stood behind her ssmates as they danced to the music. She <b>stood </b>still and pulled her baseball cap lower.


    Helow the stage, Shannon watched their performance with a smirk on her face. One who didn¡¯t know how to dance on stage was destined to be ridiculed.


    She didn¡¯t get to enjoy that moment for long, though.


    Suddenly, as the music reached its climax, Lilly did a side flip and got to the front of the stage Then, she performed <b>a </b>series of advanced dance moves.


    Each one of her moves was perfectly synchronized with the music. All of her flips, floor moves, and shuffling flowed seamlessly with each other.


    The moment she started dancing, her ssmates became background dancers. Everyone¡¯s eyes were trained on her, and stunned silence filled the venue as they had forgotten to cheer. All they could do was watch her impressive performance with widened eyes full of shock.


    Even her ssmates forgot their moves. They all stood where they were and watched her dance. Luckily, their formation was well¨Cced, and they happened to stand on both sides of the stage. With Lily in the middle, it didn¡¯t affect the performance¡¯s overall aesthetic.


    Most of the students didn¡¯t know the amount of technicalities involved in street dance. All they knew was that Lily¡¯s dance moves were the epitome of being cool!


    As the music stopped, Lily ended their performance with a backflip


    Thunderous apuse came from the audience right away. Even the judges couldn¡¯t contain themselves; they stood up to apnd ss 18¡¯s performance. They didn¡¯t expect a high school student to be able to dance so well


    Shannon and shelby, who were sitting right behind the judges, were utterly dumbfounded. They could only stare at Lily in a daze¨Cespecially Shannon, whose mind had gonepletely nk


    She couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. Lily had never said she could dance, so how the heck could she dance so impressively? She was so good that she could be a professional! Shannon bit her lip, overwhelmed by shock and anger she had wanted Lily to be the Laughingstock, but Lily ended <b>up </b>being the star of the show. She felt like strangling herself for making this happen


    ¡°Judges, please show us your score¡±


    After a round of enthusiastic apuse, it was time for the judges to reveal their scores.


    All of them gave the same score¨C10!

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    five judges gave them the highest score possible.


    The emcee announced excitedly, ¡°Congrattions, ss 18! The highest score tonight goes to you!¡±


    The entire ss 18 cheered. Lily¡¯s ssmates, who had just danced with her, remained dazed even after they went down the stage.


    iter a very long time,n looked at Lily emotionally. ¡°Lily, you, you. Is there anything you can¡¯t <b>do</b>?¡±


    ly merely responded with a casual nce. ¡°There are many other things that I can¡¯t do.¡±


    an was in awe. ¡°You could dance so well! Why didn¡¯t you join us? ss 18 should have just sent you to perform. You would have crushed everyone else!¡±


    I¡¯m not interested<b>,</b>¡± Lily replied coolly,


    In recent years, Lily had many things to deal with. She had not managed to find the cure for the poison that afflicted Belinda On top of that, she devoted a lot of energy to studying


    cupuncture. Extending her underground influence from Auston to Brklgeport <b>was </b>an immensely difficult task too.


    When she was busy, she would even work non¨Cstop for a month. Previously, she had to investigate Jason¡¯s death and attend school she had too much on her te, and the pressure was overwhelming. Of course, she couldn¡¯t care less about a trivial event like the school¡¯s art festival


    ¡°Fine¡±n knew Lily¡¯s temperament and didn¡¯t press her any further. ¡°Anyway, if our ss wins this round, it¡¯s all thanks to you¡±


    Lily checked the time and <b>said</b>, ¡°I have something to do. I¡¯ll be leaving¡±


    Loid didn¡¯te to pick her up from school that day. The Laurier family was hosting a banquet, so he had to stay home and handle the arrangements. Lily hadn¡¯t told him when she would return. She intended to go to the library to look for sonse medical books.


    As she reached the school gate, someone called out to her. ¡°Ms. Brooks?¡±


    Lily turned around and nodded at the person. ¡°Mr. Lane¡±


    ¡°I saw you dancing earlier. You¡¯ve be even more impressive since <b>I </b><bst </b>saw you<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Maxwell praised amiably


    He hade to Ember Creek High School for some business. As he was leaving, he passed by the school¡¯s field and saw Lily dancing. He stayed for a while to watch her. ¡°You tter me,¡± Lily replied humbly.


    Maxwell fell silent for a moment. Then, he looked at Lily and asked, ¡°Are you free for a chat?¡±


    Lily thought about it and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s car was parked right at the school gate. Lily got into his car.


    Just then, Shannon happened to be leaving the school. She saw Lily following a man but couldn¡¯t see his face. Nevertheless, <b>she </b>could tell that the man was way older than they


    were.


    She pondered the situation. Besides the Martinez and Laurier families, Lily didn¡¯t know anyone else in Lagersfield So, who was this man?


    Thinking about this, she followed them. Lily <b>and </b>Maxwell didn¡¯t notke Shannon trailing behind them.


    Marwell turned and observed Lily.


    Seeing that she was a bit haggard, he patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself. Your health is the most important, so you should take good care. I haven¡¯t been able <b>to </b>look after you since you came to Lagersfield <b>When </b>you¡¯re free, have dinner at my house. I¡¯ll ask jesse to cook you some good food.¡±


    Lily responded with a polite smile. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. I¡¯m doing well¡±


    Maxwell sighed andmented, ¡°You¡¯re too used to being tough all the <b>time</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Lily lowered her head and didn¡¯t say anything<b>. </b>She <b>hadn¡¯t </b>been resting welltely, <b>so </b>the was indeed mentally exhausted.


    Maxwell nced at her and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Maynard family. You. You were too impulsive The higher¨Cups have ordered a thorough investigation into


    Lily raised her head and asked calmly, ¡°What do you n to do then?¡±


    ¡°Of course<b>, </b>I¡¯ll try to resolve all the problems that crop up for you¡± Maxwell ruffled her hair and chuckled.


    to the matter


    He then said, ¡°I¡¯ve always thought of you as my own child. Parents should back their children up. Furthermore, I¡¯ve been wanting to deal with the Maynard family for a long I just didn¡¯t have the chance to do so. You¡¯ve helped me, actually¡±


    Lily ne edat hian and said, ¡°Thank <b>you</b>.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need in sols formalities between us.¡± Maxwell sighed again and added, ¡°Twe talked to Beatrice about the previous incident. She promised me that she wouldn`t target the finr? sildungs¨Campmore. So, don¡¯t worry.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ully nodded and didn¡¯t say mything to that

 g Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Lily¡¯s eyes were downcast, and she looked as if she was unhappy about something.


    Maxwell stared at her for some time before patting her shoulder and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t dwell so much on what happened back then. No one could have foreseen something like <b>that </b>would happen. You can¡¯t keep holding on to the past.¡±


    Maxwell¡¯s thoughts drifted. He felt a little stiled and lit a cigarette. ¡°I¡¯m responsible for that incident as well. If you can¡¯t move on, I


    ?Hfeel very guilty.¡±


    Lily looked up and pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯ve moved on long ago.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Maxwell looked at her. ¡°Since you started taking over the underground world of Aeston<b>, </b>you haven¡¯t thought of letting this go. You want to find those people to avenge the Grahams. But it¡¯s not that simple. We¡¯ve worked on it for seven years and found no trace of a clue<b>.</b>¡±


    Lily turned and looked at the street outside. Her voice sounded distant. ¡°They¡¯ll be found someday. They must pay for the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Graham.¡±


    Maxwell asked, ¡°Do Bobby and Poppy wish for you to find them?¡±


    Lily pursed her lips and didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t want you to keep looking, why are you still at it? Maxwell fell deep sympathy for Lily


    She was only <b>19 </b>years old. At this age, she should be <b>in </b>school, doing things that she liked. For example, she could dance well. If they found <b>her </b>a good dancing teacher, she would have a bright future ahead.


    However, she kept putting herself in dangerous situations and couldn¡¯t leave that kind of life behind.


    Lily rubbed her temples, feeling a bitzy to deal with this. ¡°Mr. Lane, I won¡¯t insist on holding on to anything else. But this is the only thing that I won¡¯t let go


    She opened the car door and said, ¡°Please take care of Bobby and Poppy. When it¡¯s time for them to go to the University of Bridgeport, I¡¯ll take over and care for them myself¡± ¡°Lily¡± Maxwell still had more to say, but Lily had already gotten out of the <b>car</b>.


    He sighed and started the car<b>. </b>Soon, he drove <b>away</b>.


    Not far behind the car, shannon looked at the photos on her phone with <b>a </b>vicious glint in her eyes. She smiled sinisterly, thinking of how Lily would have to exin herself to Loid. Early the next morning, Mnie came to Anmer Heights. Loid and Shaun had some business to attend to, <b>so </b>they left early. Therefore, only Lily was at home.


    As soon as Mnie entered, she pulled Lily toward the bedroom. ¡°I bought you an evening gown in your size. Go try it on.¡±


    Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°There¡¯s no need to try. I¡¯ll just wear it tonight.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>¡°</b>You must try it on. Otherwise, how would you know whether it fits you?¡± Mnie pushed Lily into the room. ¡°I dropped everything else today so that I <b>can </be and dress you up. I¡¯ll take you out for a facial and get your <b>hair </b>styledter. I want you to <b>shine </b>and be the center of attention!¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t know what to say to that. She didn¡¯t want any attention!


    Holding the gown, Lily hesitated for a while before going in to try it on. She never rejected any of Mnie¡¯s requests.


    After some time, Lily came <b>out </b>wearing the evening gown


    Mle was looking at her phone<b>. </b>When she looked up, she was stunned.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Mnie stood up and slowly walked over to Lily<b>. </b>She circled Lily and viewed her from every angle, unable to hide the astonishment in her eyes.


    ¡°Beautiful! Absolutely stunning<b>! </b>Your beauty is one in a million. Loid is one unbelievably lucky <b>guy </b>to get such an amazing wife.¡±


    Mnie felt a little dismayed. Though Loid was her son, she didn¡¯t feel pleased with the thought of Lily being tainted by anyone else <b>not </b>even her own son.


    This was the first time Lily had been praised in this way. She felt a little awkward. Looking down at the gown she was wearing, shemented, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating it¡±


    <b>Mnie </b>had great taste. She had chosen a pure white evening gown with intricate embroidery decorating the waistline. The dress was form¨Cfitting, highlighting Lily¡¯s slender


    Lily was more on the skinny side. The dress entuated her curves in all the right ces. She was naturally fair. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, she looked beautiful in an ethereal and suffocating way. She was <b>so </b>gorgeous that one would want to keep her in a safe ce out of everyone¡¯s sight


    Lily had never tried on this kind of garment. Looking at her reflection, she was a little surprised at how good she looked. However, the neckline was a bit low. If she were careless, <b>she </b>would identally expose herself inappropriately.


    She turned to Mnie and asked<b>, </b>¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too low cut?¡±


    ¡°No. This is just right. You haven¡¯t seen those with even lower necldines. Evening gowns don¡¯t look <b>so </b>nice when the neckline is too high,¡± Mnie replied, all smiles.


    The more she looked at Lily, the prouder she left of her daughter¨Cinw.


    With that, Lily turned back and said no more. Since Mnie and Load liked it, she was okay with it too.


    After Lily changed out of the dress, Mnie took her to a beauty salon


    Lily had never been to such a ce before. The staff led her to a massage table and began various treatments on her face. She couldn¡¯t stand the smell of the salon¡¯s <b>products </b>and got up.


    Mnie hurried over and stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re not done with your treatments yet. Le back down.¡±


    Lily adjusted her clothes and cleared her throat. ¡°Mnie, if you want to stay young and beautiful, I have a high¨Cend skincare cream I¡¯ve personally prepared that is more effective


    than this.¡±


    The beautician didn¡¯t like what she heard. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t trust those remedies you see on TV. They can be dangerous and might ruin your face. Our products are made from herbs. They are excellent for whitening, moisturizing, and reducing wrinkles without any side effects.¡±


    Lily gave her a sidelong nce. ¡°These products are just chemicals. Yes, they have those effects you mentioned. But once you use them, you can¡¯t stop. As soon as you stop, your skin will dehydrate and start agingMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing that, the beautician¡¯s face fell. ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t nder our products. We make high¨Cend products, and our clients are all prominent figures. How could we use chemicals on them? If anything happens, wouldn¡¯t we be ruining our own reputation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because they¡¯re wealthy and prominent figures that you <b>dare </b>to deceive them!¡± Lily¡¯s expression became grim


    She had always been impatient, so <b>she </b>wouldn¡¯t have bothered to argue with the beautician on normal asions. However<b>, </b>she was here with Mnie. That was why she spoke up


    this time.


    The beautician¡¯s expression soured as she turned to Mnie. ¡°Mrs Laurier, is she the child of your rtive? You need to talk to her so that she won¡¯t talk badly about our products willfully. You¡¯ve used our products before and Imow of their quality. She¡¯ll ruin our reputation by saying those things.¡±


    Mnie had intended to ask Lily to let it go, thinking that there was no need to make things difficult for a worker who was only doing her job to earn money. But then, she criticized Lily! Mnie could not tolerate something like this happening.


    She sat up and asserted, ¡°I¡¯ll know if there¡¯s a problem after I stop using your products for two or three days.¡±


    The beautician became visibly flustered ¡°Mrs. Laurier, there are high¨Cend products. You can¡¯t just stop using them.¡±


    Mnie narrowed her eyes and questioned, ¡°So, could Lily <i>be </i>right? Will my skin start having problems once I stop using your products?¡±


    ¡°N¨CNo. There¡¯s no such thing,¡± the beautician stammered,


    Mnie shot her a re and dragged Lily with her


    As they reached the <b>door</b>, she stopped and looked back at the beautician. ¡°Oh yeah. She isn¡¯t the child of a rtive. She¡¯s <b>my </b>daughter¨Cinw.¡± with that, she turned and left. The beautician stood where she was with a dumbfounded expression.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    After leaving the beauty salon, Mnie took Lily to get her hair done. However<b>, </b>since Lily dislikedplicated procedures, she only got a trim and a treatment. With plenty of time before the banquet, they went to Anter Heights to get the evening gown


    Lily was concerned that Mnie might feel displeased due to the incident at the beauty salon. She went to her suitcase, took out a jar of her Signora Cream, and handed it to


    ¡°Mnie, you don¡¯t need to go to the beauty salon anymore. Just use this. It¡¯s very effective.¡±


    Mnie epted the cream, which came in a small jar that didn¡¯t look very impressive. However, not wanting to disappoint Lily, she nodded and epted it. She asked, ¡°shall I try it now?1 haven¡¯t put on my makeup yet.¡±


    ¡°It works immediately, Lily assured her calmly.


    Skeptical but curious, Mnie went to the bathroom and carefully applied the cream around her face<b>, </b>following Lily¡¯s instructions. Despite regr visits to the salon and various beauty treatments, she had noticeable <b>wrinkles </b>around her eyes due to age.


    So, she applied more cream around the eye area and also on her neck, where she had <b>a </b>burn scar from a few years ago. She had considered skin graft surgery but eventually decided against it, so the scar remained there.


    Lily had mentioned the cream could remove scars, so Mnie applied it around her neck as well.


    Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she noticed the bum scar disappearing bit by bit she widened her eyes in shock and moved closer to the mirror. She was too astonished even to speak


    Not only was her neck scar fading, but the wrinkles around her eyes were also vanishing, and her skin was bing smoother and more youthful, she felt as if she had instantly be ten years younger.


    Overjoyed, Mnie rushed out and grabbed Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°Lily, this is incredible! The scar on my neck is gone, and so are my eye wrinkles. How did you do it?¡±


    Lily had just received a message from Loid. She was about to read it when Mnie came out.


    She looked up at Mnie and calmly said, ¡°I made it with some herbs.¡±


    ¡°It must be quite expensive, right?¡± Mnie asked.


    Lily knew traditional medicine, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that she could create such a product. However, Mnie assumed that something so miraculous must be made with precious herbs and unimaginably costly


    She felt a bit embarrassed that Lily ha


    had given her something so precious. On the other hand, she hadn¡¯t really g Lily thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. It just costs ten dors.¡± ¡°Ten dors?¡± Mnie eximed. ¡°That¡¯s too cheap! Do you have more?¡± Lily looked at Mnie, feeling a little unsure why she was asking that.


    rgen Lily much as her mother¨Cinw.


    ¡°This stuff is effective and cheap. We should promote it more. Give me more of these. <b>I </b>can sell it for you at 1,000 dors a jar, Mnie said, thinking even that price might be too cheap.


    The wealthy women in Bridgeport were all gradually aging. They would willingly pay even 10,000 dors for something that could reverse aging. Mnie was more than happy to be able to do something that would benefither daughter¨Cinw.


    Lily was speechless. She massaged her temples, feeling a bit helpless. ¡°You should just use it for yourself, Mnie. I don¡¯t n to sell it.¡±


    ¡°You must se!¡± Mnie insisted seriously. This is good stuff. If you sell it, you¡¯ll not only make money but also build your reputation. People will beg you for it. You can make money effortlessly. So, why not?¡±


    ¡°But Mnie.¡± Lily coughed lightly. ¡°This thing sells for <b>5,000 </b>dors.¡±


    The cream was something Lily had decided to create five years ago because she needed money. She had given it to Duncan, who helped her to find buyers.


    Though it came in a small jar, it was costly <b>to </b>make. It required about a dozen precious herbs. In order to produce it, about 30,000 dors was spent on research and manufacturing


    Duncan had wanted to sell it for 10,000 dors. However, Lily didn¡¯t think anyone would want to buy a facial cream at that price. Hence, she priced it at 5,000 dorsN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    After that, she earned some money and joined Alchos. As she could make money using other means, standing customers who were quite close to Duncan.


    she stopped producing Signora Cream She only made it for some long-


    She only had two little jars left in her suitcase. She had given one to Mnie<b>, </b><b>and </b>the other was meant for a customer of Duncan¡¯s


    Now, it was Mnie¡¯s turn to be speechless. Didn¡¯t Lily say it only costs ten dors?


    The next second, she seemed to realize something and asked, ¡°You told me that it was ten dors on purpose so that I wouldn¡¯t feel bad, did you?¡± Lily smiled but said <b>nothing</b>

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Loid¡¯s messages flooded in


    ¡°Thaven¡¯t seen you the <b>whole </b>day. I miss you¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Do you have medicine that can make a person grow up sooner? I can¡¯t wait to get married to you right after you turn 20.


    ¡°My wound hurts!¡±


    Lily nced at the messages <b>and </b>tagged away on her phone <b>She </b>replied, ¡°Not even a scar is left from your gunshot wound.¡±


    The text was sinct and cold.


    After reading her reply, Loid texted back with a long line of <b>ellipses</b>. Lily just gave it a cursory <b>nce </b>before putting away her phone coolly


    Mnie, who was standing across from Lily, was overwhelmed by a warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart. She couldn¡¯t believe how considerate and caring Lily was. How did she get such <b>a </b>wonderful daughter¨Cinw?Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily checked the time and said, ¡°Mnie, it¡¯s gettingte<b>.</b>¡±


    Mnie snapped out of her thoughts. She said with a smile, ¡°We still have time.¡±


    Pausing slightly, she then added, ¡°Are you really not selling the cream?¡±


    Lily lowered her gaze and pursed her lips. ¡°Do you want me to sell in?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You sell it to me for 5,000 dors, and I¡¯ll sell it for 20,000 dors per jar. I¡¯m telling you, this is good stuff. Lots of people will fight over it. I want to help you earn more moneyso that you can buy whatever you want,¡± Mnie proposed.


    Since Lily y had given her such a great product, she had to reciprocate by helping her sell it. With <b>her </b>social connections, there would be no shortage of buyers,


    Lily felt a bit tempted by Mnie¡¯s suggestion.


    Attending the Weiss family¡¯s auction required a lot of money, and the two business opportunities Loid had introduced were not feasible. One was in Bridgeport, where she wouldn¡¯t have time to go. The other option involved Jason, whom she couldn¡¯t collect any payment from.


    Recently, she had only earned ten billion dors from the Dalton family, which was still far from enough. She needed to make more money. So, every little bit mattered. ¡°okay¡± Lily nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make more in the next few days. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me sell them, Mnie.¡±


    Mnie feigned annoyance at what she said. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formality between us. Don¡¯t speak so decorously with me in the future, okay?


    Lily smiled and said nothing more. A driver came to pick Mnie and her up. When they arrived at the hotel, there were ten minutes left before the banquet started.


    Many people had already arrived. The Laurier family¡¯s car was easily recognizable, mainly due to its ostentatious license te, which no one could miss.


    <b>As </b>soon as the car stopped, those who were still at the hotel entrance passed to watch. Everyone knew that tonight¡¯s banquet was hosted by the Laurier family for their future daughter¨Cinw. Thus, they were all curious about Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e and wondered what she was like,


    Mnie was the <b>first </b>to step out of the car, she wore a luxurious sky¨Cblue gown. With her elegant updo, she exuded nobility and grace.


    Following her, Lily stepped out of the opened car door next. She wore a pair of pale pink high heels. Her slender, fair legs looked long and elegant as she stepped out. Her white evening gown was tailored to perfection, entuating her figure perfectly. Her face was exquisite; she looked like an ethereal <b>fairy</b>.


    The world seemed to fall silent. No one spoke, and one could even hear the sounds of people¡¯s breathing.

 Chapter 167

    <b>Chapter </b>167


    Loid caught wind of Lily¡¯s arrival and went to the entrance. He instantly spotted the girl who <b>had </b>captured everyone¡¯s attention. He was momentarily entranced by the sight of her as wellMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily <b>had </b>always worn a ck hoodie and <b>had </b>never changed out of it for a long time. It seemed like her wardrobe consisted only of hoodies. Now, she was dressed in a white evening gown, which was reminiscent of a noble swan. It was impossible for people to take their <b>eyes </b>off her.


    Amidst all the gazes, Lily slowly walked up to Loid. She had a somewhat strained expression, <b>and </b>her brows were tightly knit. She never liked being <b>stared </b>at. The <b>intense </b>gazes directed her way put her in a bad mood.


    When she reached Loid and looked up at him, her expression softened significantly


    He was wearing a tailored suit that highlighted his tall and elegant frame. Standing there, he exuded noble elegance. Many eyes were on him too, especially those of the women. She could hear the gasps around her. She smirked slightly, thinking that Loid sure attracted a lot of attention


    Her gaze caused Loid toe back to his senses. Ilis deepeyes showed a solemn look for a moment. He then took off <b>his </b>suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders with slight


    <b>annoyance</b>.


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t wear such revealing clothes in front of others,¡± he mumbled.


    Lily raised an eyebrow, ¡°Mnie told me to wear this.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not allowed.¡± Loid took her <b>hand </b>and spoke in a tone full of jealousy. ¡°You can only let me see you dressed like this ¡±


    Lily nced at him, her smile teasing. ¡°All the girls are gawking at you. Shouldn¡¯t you try to make yourself less conspicuous too?¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re gawking, it means you have good taste! Loid replied confidently.


    Lily was at a loss for words and had to agree with him.


    Holding hands, they walked slowly toward the banquet hall with everyone¡¯s attention focused on them all the way. The Martinez family, who had arrived earlier, were left speechless at the sight of Lily, Julia, in particr, found that no words were sufficient to describe Lily.


    <b>She </b>was perfect without a single w. Lily outshone the youngdies of the Martinez family by a mile. No wonder Loid preferred Lily over Shannon. The two couldn¡¯t even bepared.


    Susan watched this scene with anger and astonishment. She had forced Lily to wear an evening gown before, but she defied her till the end. Now, she felt even more frustrated that Lily stunned everyone with her beauty. She outshone Shannonpletely.


    Even so, she couldn¡¯t deny that Lily was breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, her beauty was exceptional.


    Shannon was extremely jealous and annoyed. She was so angry that she seemed like she could burst into mes at any moment.


    ¡°Wow! Is that Lily?¡± someone from ss 18 eximed.


    ¡°<b>It </b>really is! My gosh, Lily looks so beautiful. She¡¯s usually so cold and indifferent. She¡¯s like <b>a </bpletely different person now.


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of her. Look at her skin! <b>it¡¯s </b><b>so </b>fair and smooth. And look at that hourss figure. Is this really the Lily we know? The students of ss 18 were dumbfounded.


    Lily saw them as she entered. Ignoring the rest of the people in the hall, she went straight to them.


    she scanned the group and said calmly, ¡°Help yourselves to whatever you want to eatter, I might not be around to tend to you. If you need to leave, tell the security at the entrance. They will arrange for <b>a </b>car to drive you back.¡±


    Earlier that morning, Mnie hade to Anmer Heights and mentioned that they only invited some of the friends of the Laurier family. She was worried that Life might be bored and suggested she invite some friends.


    Lily didn¡¯t have many friends in Lagerstick besides the students of ss 18.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    Chapter 168


    Lily had initially thought that not many people woulde. But as she looked around, she found that everyone had shown up.


    She didn¡¯t invite Bobby and Poppy. This kind of event wasn¡¯t suitable for them. They might draw unwanted attention with so many people around


    Ian snapped out of his astonishment. Nodding with understanding, he said, ¡°Lily, you go ahead. We¡¯ll take care of ourselves <b>¡±</b>


    Lily didn¡¯t say anything further. She headed to the cen


    center of the banquet hall alongside Loid and Mnie.


    Many prominent figures attended the Lauriers banquet. As the head of the Woodley family, one of the Four Great Families of Bridgeport, Joseph had received their invitation early on. <b>He </b><b>arrived </b>at the venue fairly early


    He usually avoided such events unless absolutely necessary, so his presence was a rare urrence. However, he had to be present on this <b>asion</b>. He couldn¡¯t refuse the Laurier family¡¯s invitation. More importantly, it was because Lily would be there. Thus, he needed to be there to show support for her.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Maxwell was the top official of Lagersfield Of course, he was present too, with Beatrice in tow. Both he and Joseph saw Lily from afar but didn¡¯t approach her. Tonight was her night, so they thought they should refrain from stealing her spotlight.


    Mnie started to speak into the microphone. ¡°Thank you all for attending our banquet. I would like to introduce my daughter<b>¨C</b>inw to you. Everyone, this is Lily Brooks.¡± Lily nodded at everyone quite indifferently.


    Knowing her personality, Mnie smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s feeling shy, so please don¡¯t mind her. I won¡¯t keep dragging on with unnecessary words. Let¡¯s start <b>the </b>banquet. Enjoy yourselves<b>, </b>everyone!¡±


    Mnie had initially nned to introduce Lily to some business elites. But knowing Lily¡¯s aversion to such interactions<b>, </b>she didn¡¯t force her.


    Lily grabbed a bottle of wine and headed straight for her ss 18 ssmates.


    <b>Most </b>attendees had done some background research on Lily. To them, she was a country bumplin <b>with </b>no family backing who got lucky.


    Though the Laurier family¡¯s act of publicly acknowledging Lily as their daughter¨Cinw surprised many, none of them saw her as someone Important or useful to them. They were here towork with those who could benefit them, so they focused on toasting Loid and his family and paid no attention to Lily.


    Upon noticing this, Joseph and Maxwell were visibly displeased. They were well aware of the snobbish nature of the elites of Bridgeport. They were neglecting Uly because they believed she wasn¡¯t beneficial to them.


    Infuriated by their cold treatment toward Lily, Joseph picked up a ss of wine to approach her, only to sex


    see Maxwell heading in the same direction at the same time. They exchanged a nce and paused when they noticed Shannon approaching Lily.


    Lily was chatting casually with Anya andn when Shannon approached them. She gave Shannon a perfunctory nce before looking away.


    Shannon was dressed in a light yellow dress with her hair pinned back. <b>She </b>looked every bit the sensual beauty.


    She raised her ss with a smile, ¡°Congrattions on finally being recognized by the Laurier family.¡±


    Before <b>Lily </b><b>could </b>respond,n cut Shannon off, ¡°What do you mean by ¡°finally? The Laurier family <b>has </b>always recognized Lily. Stop vying for attention!¡±


    Shannon ignored Ian and continued to talk to Lily, ¡°I think <b>there </b>were some misunderstandings between us. I believe there¡¯s no need for sisters <b>to </b>keep holding grudges. I hope you can forgive me for any wrongs I¡¯vemitted in the past.¡±

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    Leaning against the table behind her and holding her wine ss, Lily looked at Shannon with a faint smile but said nothing


    Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, but her smile remained unchanged. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Hope everything goes well with your banquet.¡±


    Lily raised an eyebrow and watched her leave with a thoughtful expression. After Shannon walked away, <b>Joseph </b>and Maxwell approached Lily.


    ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Brooks. It¡¯s <b>a </b>relief to know that someone will take good care of you,¡± Maxwell said warmly, holding his wine ss.


    Lily smiled and replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lane.¡±


    Joseph nced at Maxwell, his gaze darkening momentarily. Then<b>, </b><b>he </b>retracted his thoughts and looked at Lily, the praised, ¡°You should wear bright colors more often. You look so beautiful


    Lily held her wine ss with a polite smile. ¡°You tterme, Mr. Woodley.¡±


    Joseph chuckled and replied, ¡°You deserve the highest praise¡±


    He then paused and leaned closer to Lily, whispering in her ear, ¡°Have you thought about what we discussed?¡±


    Lily frowned slightly. ¡°Thaven¡¯t decided yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting for too long,¡± Joseph said <b>in </b><b>a </b>serious tone while patting her shoulder. ¡°I hope your decision will be a <b>good </b>one.¡±


    Lily nodded without saying anything.


    Both Maxwell and Joseph were prominent figures, so they attracted attention <b>wherever </b>they went. The fact that they approached Lily and conversed with her surprised the other guests.


    They began to wonder if Lily was more than just a simple girl from the countryside. This curiosity led some to approach her with their wine sses


    Lily responded politely to those who came to toast her as she was in a good mood.


    Meanwhile, Menie was chatting with a group of affluentdies. Suddenly, someone¡¯s <b>phone </b>rang. After checking it, the person¡¯s expression changed. She quickly signaled to others. Soon, everyone at the banquet was looking at their phones with all sorts of expressions


    A few people who had been toasting Lily, promptly excused themselves after getting a hint from those around them. They simply left without saying another word to her standing in the corner, Lily observed the changing expressions of the people in the banquet hall with narrowed eyes.


    Some of the women close to Mnie pulled her aside after a moment of contemtion.


    ¡°Mrs. Laurier, did you not investigate the background of your daughter¨Cinw?¡± asked one of them.


    Mnie turned to give her a befuddled look. ¡°Why would I need to investigate her?¡±


    The woman pursed her lips and said, ¡°She may not be leading a very respectable private lile.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mnie¡¯s expression soured. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? I know Lily well she¡¯s not that kind


    hat kind of person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense!¡± the woman insisted, showing Mnie her phone. ¡°Look, she was photographed getting intimate with an older man in a car, and it¡¯s all over FacebookN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Mnie looked at the Facebook post with a <b>furious </b>expression. She smashed her ss in anger and eximed, ¡°How outrageous!


    The surrounding guests were startled by her outburst and took a few steps back.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter <b>170</b>


    Load heard themotion and frowned, looking in her direction


    Mrs. Lautier, don¡¯t get angry There are my girls like her. It¡¯s not toote for you to know now. At least they¡¯re not married yet. I¡¯ll only be difficult to handle once they married,¡± someone advised Mnie


    The people around chimed in one by one Mnie¡¯s expression darkened like thunderclouds She looked at the photos posted on Facebook, a cold glint passing through her eyes Without saying anything, she went to find Stefan


    Stn was talking to the beads of several prominent families in Bridgeport When he saw Mnie beckoning to him from nearby, he walked over


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    Mnie handed her phone to Stn, her face grim as she asked, ¡°Severaldies saw this Facebook post and told me about it. Should we handle this matter how at wait unt end of the banquet?


    Stetan looked at the post and flew into a cage immediately. ¡°Dunn at We¡¯re having this banquet specifically for Lily Whoever posted this is clearly trying to himire Lily and make her the target of controversy and gossip!¡±


    In the Facebook post, Lily was sitting in a car with an older man. Their bodies were very close to each other in the photos The man was touching tily¡¯s head affectionately Sometimes, he could be seen patting her shoulder. Their actions were very intimate


    Stefan could tell that the photo wasn¡¯t photoshopped, it was taken by someone who had stalked Libe and taken it with ill intent. They were obviously targeting by releasing the photos at a time like this


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Stefan snorted coldly. ¡°This person underestimated our tolerance and trust toward thy They want to sow discord between her and nur family, but they¡¯ve mad wrong move.¡±


    Mnie nodded. ¡°This person¡¯s intentions are clear. They¡¯re after Lily. Right now, Lily probably doesn¡¯t know yet. When are we going to take care of th herlor


    ald we keep it


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to hide it from her.¡± Stefan nced at the guests in the banquet hall ¡°Lily¡¯s intelligent I think she noticed something was off with the expressions of the people


    Moreover, it¡¯s good to let her know about how ville human nature can be in advance. In the future<b>, </b><b>she </b>will have to tace many challenge in deport. This will serve as a lesson for her today.


    Stefan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mnie, you pretend to be very angry first Then, have someone find out who posted it on Facebook. We¡¯ll resolve this mutter on the spot. I want them to know that the daughter¨Cinw of the Laurier family is not someone anyone can trample on ¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go do that now, Mnie agreed.


    Merahule, Loid was exchanging pleasantries with some of the scions of Bridgeport when Daniel approached him with an anxious expression. He whispered in Lod¡¯s ear Lost a expression darkened in the next second, and his demeanor became iry


    He nced at Li, who was standing in the corner expressionlessly and asionally sipping her drink.


    Taking a sip of his wine, he ordered discreetly, ¡°Look into it and report the results back to me immediately.¡±


    Daniel nodded and scurried off to handle the matter.


    <b>Shaun </b>pecened the Facebook notification of the post as well. He narrowed his eyes and eximed angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t let me find out who did this. I¡¯ll teach them a good lesson) ¨C


    He thought whoever posted the photos was despicable. They purposely chose to embarrass Lily during such an important event.


    While Mnie and Daniel were investigating the truth, the photos on the screen in the hall suddenly changed they were reced by scandalous pictures of Lily and the man from Facebook


    All the guests stopped and stared at them


    Most of the men in the banquet hall were busy socialiring and didn¡¯t pay much attention to their phones. The women hal knonts about this earlier, but they still directed findast?id nces at Lily when the photos came onto the screch


    od side of the Laurier family, some people chose to speak out angry and criticize Lily


    and, she should thank the heavens that she¡¯s getting married to him. How dare she get involved a


    unbathhd, why did she have to go to an older man? She¡¯s disgraN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    when discipline theen from when they were young So, it¡¯s no verprise they would der


    ething the this given theirck of non alu

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    Lily looked at the photos on the screen and narrowed her eyes with displeasure. Even the air around her seemed to be chilly.


    The students of ss 18 were outraged to see this too.


    fan couldn¡¯t hold himself back. He cursed, ¡°Damn it! Who the hell posted this? Lily couldn¡¯t have done such a thing!¡±


    Anya frowned and said angrily, ¡°Someone must be deliberately framing Lily. What should we do? So many people have seen it, and Lily¡¯s reputation is ruined.¡±


    Sean added, ¡°The person who did this is despicable. Why choose this moment to release <b>it</b>?¡®s obvious they want the Laurier family to misunderstand Lily, right?¡±


    The surrounding discussions reached <b>Lily¡¯s </b>ears. She stood where she was stoically, swaying her wine ss slowly. A cold glint flickered in her eyes.


    Suddenly, Lily ced the wine ss on the table and turned to Tan, ¡°Go find me aputer.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Lan was puzzled. Why wasn¡¯t Lily dealing with the matter but requesting aputer instead?


    Lily took off her high heels and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t used to wearing high heels Today, she had to wear them because of this dress. Standing in them for too long made her feet feel ufortableN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Lily looked displeased. So, Tan didn¡¯t ask further and went to <b>get </b>aputer from the hotel staff. Soon, he returned with aptop.


    After taking theputer from him, Lily started typing fervently on the keyboard. She typed so fast that her ssmates only saw strings of code shing on the screen. They were unable to see the contents of theputer at all


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Meanwhile, the Laurier family was very upset at the photos disyed on the screen.


    Loid scanned the <b>banquet </b>hall with a scrutinizing gaze, his slender fingers rightly gripping his wine ss.


    He took <b>a </b><b>sip </b>expressionlessly and instructed, ¡°Daniel, close the hotel doors. No one is allowed to leave tonight¡±


    ¡°Got it¡± Daniel¡¯s expression was equally grin


    To him, Lily was as important as Loid. He refused to believe Lily would do such a thing. Now that someone <b>was </b>deliberately framing her, he had to find and expose that person to prove Lily¡¯s innocence


    Having just returned from the restroom, Maxwell noticed the odd expressions of the guests in the hall. As soon as he looked up, he saw what was disyed on the screen. Instantly, a stormy expression came upon his face


    He called his secretary over and asked sternly, ¡°Who posted this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the secretary replied truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s not only shown on the screen. Everyone received a Facebook notification of the post.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Maxwell was enraged.


    His secretary had never seen him so angry before and could only shrink back in fear.


    Maxwell mmed the wine ss on the table and went straight to the stage. He grabbed a microphone and was about to speak.


    Just as he was about to say something, a voice interrupted him, ¡°Mr. Lane ¡±


    Lily walked over to Marwell barefoot and joined him on stage. Mnte wanted to ask Lily toe down but was stopped by Loid. <b>She </b>opened her mouth to say something but ultimately held back


    Under everyone¡¯s puzzled gazes, Lily approached Maxwell and stood by him. She nced around calmly before her gaze finallynded on Shannon¡¯s face. The corner of her lips litted, and a cold smile appeared on her face,


    ¡°Shannon, do you know who the man in the photo is?¡±

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Shannon didn¡¯t expect Lily to suddenly call her name. She was caught off guard and telt <b>anxious</b>.


    quickly, she collected her thoughts. It wasn¡¯t like she had done anything wrong, so why should she be nervous?


    She looked at Lily <b>and </b>smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you meant.¡±


    Lilybrushed away a stray strand of her hair and nced at Shannon coolly. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll make you understand.¡±


    Shannon smiled uneasily and continued, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need to understand, Lily. But you¡­ Loid treasures you so much, yet you did such a shameful thing behind his back. It¡¯s


    nfair to him. I may be your sister, but even I can¡¯t side with you this time.


    As her words tell, usatory voices arose from all around them.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Loid treats her so <b>well</b>, yet she does this to him. What a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Loid can have <b>any </b>woman he wants. Why did he choose her? Besides being beautiful<b>, </b>she has no other redeeming qualities.


    ¡°She¡¯s good at seducing people, I guess. She goes for both the young and the old,¡±


    Loid¡¯s hands were in his pockets. He shot those gossiping people a frosty re. They shut up immediately.


    Mnie nced at Lily and Shannon. She understood what was happening right away. Her realization caused her expression to darken considerably.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lily <b>half</b>¨Csquinted her eyes at Shannon. ¡°<b>Thave </b>something nice to show you. Would you like to see it?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to share something nice with me, then I¡¯d definitely like to see it,¡± Shannon replied in a gentle tone


    Lily smicked and looked in Jan¡¯s direction. ¡°Tan.¡±


    Not far away,n heard her and responded with an ¡°okay¡± gesture. He then rapped on theputer keyboard a few times. Suddenly, the screen disy changed, and Shannon¡¯s expression shitted drastically along with it.


    It wasn¡¯t only her. The faces of everyone in the Martinez family fell too <b>at </b><b>that </b>moment


    A video yed on the screen. Shannon was in a bar, talking to a thug with green hair. She handed him a lot of cash and then gave him a photo.


    She sounded merciless as she said, ¡°This person is Jason Martinez. Find a chance to kill him. Once it¡¯s done<b>, </b>I¡¯ll give you 100,000 dors.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking, miss? We don¡¯t take assassination orders. Even if we did.. Daly <b>100,000 </b>dors for an illegal act of taking a person¡¯s life? Do you think we¡¯re fools?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t <b>have </b>to loll him, then. If I want you to make him unable to wake up forever, that¡¯s doable, right?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>We </b>can do it, but you¡¯re paying us too Ettle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 200,000 dors at most. If you won¡¯t take this up, I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±


    Julia clutched her chest and retreated several steps backward disbelievingly. She pointed at Shannon, her lips trembling ¡°<b>You</b>. It was you who killed Jason!¡± ¡°No<b>, </b>It wasn¡¯t <b>me</b>!¡± Shannon panicked.


    she didn¡¯t expect Lily to have this video. Where on earth could she have gotten it from?


    Liam watched the scene in the video for a long time without saying a word. He then turned and looked at his beloved daughter, feeling heartbroken.


    ¡°Your brother doted on you so much. Why would you do this?¡± Liam asked.


    Jason¡¯s death had been <b>a </b>mystery. Back then, they only received word that Jason had been in a car ident. When they rushed to the hospital, his body had already been cremated. He didn¡¯t even get to see Jason for thest time.


    He never expected that his precious daughter had been behind his son¡¯s death,


    Liam ced a hand on the table <b>to </b><b>support </b>himself, his face full of sorrow and indescribable pain.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Everyone in the <b>hall </b>shifted their gazes to Shannon. No one spoke, but those looks were like piercing knives that stabbed at her heart relentlessly.


    Her face turned deathly pale <b>as </b>she fell to the ground.


    Pulling the hem of <b>Liar¡¯s </b>clothes, she cried, ¡°Dad, it wasn¡¯t me! It really wasn¡¯t me! Lily framed me. <b>She </b>hates me, Dad. You have to believe me!¡±

 Chapter 173

    Chapter <b>173</b>


    Shannon¡¯s face turned ashen, and her hair hung over her shoulders messily as she knelt on the ground. Tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. If this had been in the past, Liam would have believed her


    But this time, he looked at her coldly and questioned, ¡°<b>Not </b>you?


    He threw his head back andughed. Hisugh was broken and sarcastic. ¡°Then, tell me. Is the <b>person </b>in the video not you but someone who looks exactly like you?


    ¡°Shannon bit her <b>lip</b>, unable to speak for a long time.


    It was indeed her in the video, <b>and </b>this incident had really taken ce. She never expected someone to have recorded a video of it, let alone for it to end up in Lily¡¯s hands<b>. </b>With so many eyes on her right now, she didn¡¯t know how to exin herself.


    The sound of a loud p then echoed in the hall.


    Julia had stepped forward and pped Shannon across the face. ¡°How could you do this? He¡¯s your brother! He has loved and pampered you the most since you were children. He gave you the best of everything. Yet, you killed him! Why? <b>Why</b>!¡±


    At that moment, Julia was very emotional. Jason was the one she loved the most in the Martinez family. When news of Jason¡¯s death came, she fainted on the spot andy in bed for half a month before recovering.


    She hadn¡¯t been able to ept Jason¡¯s death, especially since she hadn¡¯t even seen him for thest time. Now, <b>she </b><b>found </b>out that Jason¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been an ident. It was her own granddaughter who had him killed!Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Grandma, you have to trust me. It really wasn¡¯t me.¡± Shannon cried out in despair. But no matter how she exined, everything she <b>said </b>sounded weak and teeble.


    Feeling a sharp pain in her chest, Juli¨¤ retreated several steps. Only with Liam¡¯s support was she able to keep herself steady.


    She took several deep breaths. Painting at Shannon, she spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°You always pretend to be gentle, sensible, and generous. I thought you were a good child, bot Inever expected you to be so vicious.


    ¡°Well done. I¡¯ve lived my whole life only to be fooled by you. You¡¯re really something, Shannon


    Shannon¡¯s head hung low as she listened to Julia¡¯s harsh berating wordlessly. Suddenly, she stopped crying. A cold glint shed in her eyes as she clenched her fists.


    After a moment, she raised her head and got up slowly. Her delicate face <b>was </b>contorted and sinister.


    She admitted, ¡°Yes, thired someone to kill <b>Jason</b>. So what? Are you going to report me to the police? Do you have any evidence?¡±


    Shannon pointed at the screen and said, ¡°Based on this video alone, you can¡¯t convict me. Jason was hit by a car. It wasn¡¯t me who ordered it. The person I hired hadn¡¯t even <b>acted </b>yet, and he was already hit by a car.¡±


    Susan stared at Shannon incredulously. ¡°<b>Shannon</b>, did you really do that? Why? Why would you do such a thing?¡±


    From the beginning, Susan was suspended in utter disbelief. She was unable to believe that Shannon would do something like this,

 Chapter 174

    Chapter174


    Susan had invested <b>a </b>lot of effort in raising


    sing Shannon into a refined youngdy. Her beloved daughter shouldn¡¯t be such a vindictive and evil person.


    However, she couldn¡¯t pretend that she hadn¡¯t seen the contents of the video. She had remained silent, hoping that Shannon would exin herself.


    She never expected Shannon to admit her wrongdoing publicly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Shannon smirked coldly. <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s because


    Jason was the son of Dad¡¯s first wife! The whole family had high hopes for him. Every time we went out, all eyes were on him. No matter how hard I tried, all of you couldn¡¯t see me.¡±


    She picked <b>up </b>a ss <b>of </b>red wine from the nearby table and took a sip. Then, sheughed aloud maniacally with tears swimming in her eyes.


    ¡°<b>Grandma</b>, Dad, you both favor boys over girls. Since I was born, you¡¯ve never cared for me. In these years, if it weren¡¯t for my relentless efforts to excel, would you have acknowledged me as the youngdy <b>of </b>the Martinez family?¡± Shannon asked rhetorically


    ¡°No!¡± she answered her own question and drained the wine in one gulp


    Then, she mmed the ss down and shouted, ¡°You won¡¯t acknowledge me as the youngdy of the Martinez family because my mother came from the countryside! She¡¯s a stepmother and the second wife, so we don¡¯t deserve your recognition!¡±


    Julia and Liam looked at her coldly.


    After a while, m said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ve never <b>shown </b>any preferential treatment toward Jason. You had a share of everything he had. I¡¯ve never mistreated you in <b>any </b>way.¡±


    ¡°yes, you didn¡¯t mistreat me But how you treated me was even worse than mistreating me!¡± Shannon bellowed, her face twisted with ferocity.


    She canted, ¡°Every time I came back from school, you only spoke to Jason Whenever exams were over, you only asked about his grades. <b>Even </b>if I ranked first in ss, you just casually asked me to continue working hard¡±


    Tears welled up in Shannon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m also your child. Why do you only see Jason and never


    Liam looked at her disappointedly. ¡°I¡¯ve always known how good your grades are. I didn¡¯t want you to be proud by praising you excessively. For an affluent family like ours, we have high standards for our daughters.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not outstanding enough, you won¡¯t earn the recognition of others. I didn¡¯t expect that you misunderstood my good intentions so thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Shannonughed coldly. ¡°I had Jason killed so that you could all finally see me. It¡¯s a pity. I hadn¡¯t even done anything, and he was already dead. I guess even the cosmos didn¡¯t want him to the ¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°You!<b>¡± </b>Liam was so cross that he was unable to speak for a very long time.


    Shannon ignored him and turned to <b>look </b>at Lily with a sinister gleam in her eyes. ¡°1 underestimated you, Lily. A country humpkin like you used only a few months to ruin my elforts of over a decade<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    She walked slowly toward Lily. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that Jason was <b>outstanding</b>. But what about you? Other than being somewhat pretty, what else do you have over me? Why does my <b>fianc¨¦ </b>dote on you? Why do our schoolmates take your side? Even the teachers speak up for you!¡±


    <b>Shannon </b>raised her chin and smiled icily. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re <b>good </b>at seducing men<b>? </b>Since you like older men, why are you snatching my fiance from me?


    At that moment, Shannon looked crazed. Her eyes were filled with intense anger. She looked like she would murder Lily on the spot.


    Lily looked at her frenzied appearance and chuckled. She stepped forward and walked toward shannon at a steady pace.


    ¡°Why, you ask? Because Loid isn¡¯t your fiance. Because the Martinez family couldn¡¯t make me take your ce to get married. I never vie for attention ore up with convoluted schemes. Because I¡¯m Lily Brooks, and you¡¯re Shannon Martinez


    ¡°You don¡¯t scheme?¡± Shannon sneered. ¡°If <b>so</b>, what did you want to achieve by showing this video? Aren¡¯t you trying to direct the public criticism toward me? Are you satisfied now?


    ¡°But how long will your satisfactionst? Today, the Laurier family may want to preserve their dignity and choose to overlook your acts of intimacy with an older man. But what aboutter on? Do you think they won¡¯t mind?


    * Ms. Martinez, I think you¡¯re mistaken about the Laurier tamily,¡± Stefan interrupted.


    He walked over, exuding firm resolution with a <b>serious </b>expression. ¡°We know Lily¡¯s character better than anyone. Even if these photos were real, we still believe in Lily¡¯s character.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter <b>175</b>


    Save for matters in the business field, Mnie handled everything else in the Laurier family. This was well¨Cknown in the social circles of Bridgeport.


    Today, Stefan personally stood up <b>to </b>speak for Lily. This indicated how high Lily¡¯s position was in the <b>Laurier </b>family.


    Some of the guests contemted this inwardly, but no one spoke up.


    Shannon¡¯s expression shifted <b>as </b>she looked incredulously at Stefan. ¡°Mr. Laurier, isn¡¯t Lily being unfaithful to Loid by being with another man? Can you tolerate that?¡±


    Stefan nced at her, his expression serious and cold. Ms. Martinez, considering you¡¯re Lily¡¯s sister, I¡¯ll overlook your earlier words. If you dare to talk nonsense again and nder Lily, I will hold you legally ountable¡±


    Shannon¡¯s expression stiffened, and then she looked at Lily mockingly<b>. </b>¡°You¡¯re really something, Lily. Not only did you win Loid over, but you also managed to have Mr. and Mrs. Laurier eating out of your palm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to hand it to you. But so what<b>? </b>Today, someone managed to expose something scandalous about you, <b>in </b>the future, there¡¯s bound to be more! How are you better than me?¡±


    Lily crossed her arms and looked at Shannon with a decisive half¨Csmile. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who brought the scandal to light?¡±


    Shannon avoided her gaze. ¡°That has nothing to do with me.


    Lily raised an eyebrow, quite impressed by Shannon.¡°<b>You </b>admit to hiring someone tomit murder, but you won¡¯t admit to this small matter? I guess you think that even if the Martinez family finds out about Jason¡¯s death, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to <b>you</b>.


    ¡°But I¡¯m a different story. I have the backing of the Laurier family. Are you worried that you¡¯ll be an enemy of the Laurier family if you admit to it?


    Lilypassed for a bit and smiled faintly. <b>¡°</b>You don¡¯t have to worry about that! The Laurier family doesn¡¯t even need to step in to deal with the likes of you.¡± Shannon had an evasive expression on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the kind of person who likes to solve <b>problems </b><b>on </b>the spot.¡± Lily li


    lifted her chin slightly, her smile cold and mocking. ¡°I¡¯ll help you understand what you don¡¯t understand


    now.¡±


    Lily turned around and nced at the guests. Her expression was solemn. The tone of her voice became chilly as she asked, ¡°You¡¯re all eager to know too, don¡¯t you?¡± Her gaze was as sharp as a knife. Anyone who met her gaze trembled and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.


    Previously, some of them locked down on Lily. Now, none of them <b>dared </b>to. She turned around and exposed someone else¡¯s scandal without panicking when she was implicated <b>and </b>put in a rough spot.


    Moreover, the head of the Laurier family personally vooched for her, indicating that she wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. Her methods of dealing with matters far surpassed any <b>ordinary </b>person.


    In this kind of situation, no one wanted to invite trouble for themselves.


    Lily turned and looked at Maxwell. She said softly, ¡°Mr. Lane, could you please exin?¡°¡±


    Maxwell nodded, his expression grim. ¡°The person in this photo with Ms. Brooks is me. I don¡¯t know the intentions of the person who took this photo, but I¡¯ll exin. I treat Ms. Brooks like my own daughter. The time this photo was taken should be after the art festival at Ember Creek High School.


    *I met Ms. Brooks at the school gate and exchanged a few words with her. Unexpectedly, someone took these photos with ulterior motives. I will investigate this matter thoroughly.¡±


    As his words fell, Shannon¡¯s face fell tMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ell too. ¡°No, the


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! Lily doesn¡¯t know anyone in Lagersfield. How could you be..¡±


    She stopped mid¨Csentence, realizing that Maxwell looked very much like the man in the photo!


    How did things turn out like this? Maxwell was the top official <b>of </b>Lagerstield How could Lily know him?


    Lily looked at her coldly. ¡°Do you really l


    Glow me at all?


    Shannon was startled. Yes, she didn¡¯t really know who Lily was. She <b>had </b>never bothered to get to know her


    She was seemingly just a country bumpkin, but she surprised everyone every single time. Lily was exceptional in many ways. Her looks, grades, poprity, dancing skills¨Cany of these alone were incredibly impressive

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Before anyone knew it, Lily had started to shine spectacrly


    Shannon bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes, and she stubbornly refused to let them fall.


    Lily nced at her indifferently and retracted her gaze. ¡°Now that you know the identity of the man in the photos. It¡¯s time we talk about the Excebook post now.¡±


    After she said that, she nced atn. He got her signal and pressed a button on theputer. The screen now showed the ID of the Facebook sender and the contents from Shannon¡¯s phone.


    Shannon <b>was </b>sturned to see this. ¡°How How did you


    Lily smirked <b>and </b><b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°There are many things about me that you can¡¯t imagine. Do you want to see?¡±


    ¡°<b>No</b>!¡± Shannon shouted without thinking she didn¡¯t know what else Lily had, but she couldn¡¯t let Lily continue.


    If Lily carried on, Shannon would lose her mind.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Liam looked at the contents on the screen and felt too ashamed to stay there any longer.


    He walked up to Lily and apologized to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not educating and disciplining Shannon properly as her father. I apologize to you on her behalf. As I have something to attend to, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Lily nced at him. ¡°Mr. Martinez, I don¡¯t me you.¡±


    Liam smiled bitterly and said nothing. He turned and nodded at Stefan and Mnie before leaving alone. He didn¡¯t take anyone else from the Martinez family with him.


    With such an incident happening, the atmosphere became immensely awkward. Some people expressed their intention to leave as well. <b>Of </b>course, the remaining Martinez family members couldn¡¯t bear to stay any longer. Julia bid farewell to Mnie with her family and turned to leave.


    However, Loid stopped them. ¡°<b>Mrs. </b>Martinez Senior,¡±


    Julia¡¯s expression stiffened. She smiled awkwardly at Loid. ¡°Yes, Mr. Loid?¡±


    Lold walked over to Lily and took her hand. He stared at julia coldly and spoke in an icy <b>tone</b><b>, </b>¡°Your granddaughter posted those photos on Facebook to defame and damage the reputation of my fianc¨¦e


    ¡°Moreover<b>, </b>she embarrassed my fianc¨¦e in public during the banquet held by my family. Don¡¯t you think the Martinez family should make up for this huge scobefore leaving?¡±


    Shaun shot Julia a cial re before standing silently beside Loid. He had made up his mind that if Loid <b>didn¡¯t </b>pursue this matter <b>today</b>, he would step in to resolve it to <b>address </b>Lily¡¯s grievances.


    Julia¡¯s expression soured, but she quickly adjusted her mindset and looked at Lold apologetically. ¡°This was indeed our fault. How would you like us to make it up to you? We will dly do it as long as it¡¯s within our capability.¡±


    Loid narrowed his eyes, his expression solemn ¡°I think 20 percent of the Martinez Group shares would be an adequatepensation¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julia¡¯s face fell drastically ¡°20 percent?¡±


    Although the shares of the Martinez Group were in the hands <b>of </b>their own family members, after dividing them among the eldest and second eldest sons<b>, </b>they didn¡¯t have many shares left. Julia only had 40 percent of the shares. If she gave away 20 percent, she wouldn¡¯t be thergest shareholder anymore.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not willing? Loid adjusted his suit sleeveszily, looking unbothered.


    Julia¡¯s heart raced. After a fierce internal struggle, she finally nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do as you said.¡±


    Keeping thie Martinez family intact was more important than holding on <b>to </b>20 percent of the shares.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    The Martinez family left.


    The atmosphere at the banquet was ruined. Mnie felt that it was unnecessary to continue. It was also gettingte<b>, </b>so she announced the end of the banquet.


    Mnie and Stefan went to see the guests off while Lily saw her ssmates off. Mnie arranged transportation for all of them to be <b>driven </b>back to their dormitories and homes respectively.


    After Lily bid all the students from ss 15 goodbye, the Lauriers had just seen off thest <b>group </b>of guests too. Mnie noticed Lily standing alone by the roadside and walked over to her. Tonight¡¯s events were unexpected, and she was worried Lily might be upset.


    Suddenly, a ck car turned theer and sped down the road, quickly knocking over several cars. Lily fixed <b>her </b>gaze on the <b>car</b><b>, </b>and her expression turned into shock when she saw it was heading toward Mnir.


    She quieldy ran toward Mnie, shouting, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Loid and Shaun, <b>who </b>had just exited the hotel, witnessed the scene. Both of them tensed up and hurried over.


    Yet, they were still a step toote.


    Mnie heard Lily¡¯s voice and looked up in shock. Before she could react, the collision threw her about 30 feet away. The car didn¡¯t stop, it quickly switched directions and disappeared from sight.


    The guests who were in their cars but had not left yet all alighted their vehicles to check on the situation. Instantly, it became crowded in front of the hotel


    Loid exuded <b>an </b><b>air </b>of iciness as he approached, dialing a number as he did. ¡°Send someone over Block all exits in Lagersfield Get an ambnce, and contact Neil


    Then, he got into his car <b>and </b>started the engine. The kry sports car shot off like an arrow into the dark night


    shan ignored him and ran to Mnie¡¯s side. He was about to pick her up when a low growl sounded from behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    The air around Lily felt oppressive and suffocating


    She squatted before Mnie and ced several silver needles on a few <b>of </b>her acupoints. Her movements were fast and urate.


    Then she stood up and instructed Shaun, ¡°Tell Neil not to remove these silver needles and perform the surgery first¡±


    After saying that, she leaped up and used the roots of several cars as her stepping stones to get out of there. She disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    <b>Shaun </b><b>and </b>Daniel were already ustomed to Lily¡¯s astonishing actions, but the other people were stunned. As Mnie¡¯s life was in danger, no one cared about these things. They <b>all </b>came forward to check Mnie¡¯s condition.


    Shaun was annoyed by these people who <b>kept </b>bothering them. He shouted, ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡±


    The crowd dispersed, but no one left. They retreated a Ettle but still formed <b>a </b>circle around them.


    Soon, an ambnce arrived. Nell pushed open the car door <b>and </b>walked over to Shaun. He checked Mnie¡¯s pulse first <b>and </b>said with urgency, ¡°Quick. We need to take her to the hospital.¡±


    Neil hadn¡¯t attended the banquet tonight because he happened to have a patient to attend to. He had just finished when he received Loid¡¯s call. Without dy, he rushed over as quickly as he could.


    Shaun nced at him and angrily asked, ¡°Why did youe sote?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°There was an ident on the way here¡± Neil¡¯s expression <b>was </b>serious. ¡°I drove here myself.¡±


    Shaun smiled in a sinister way. ¡°Well¨Cyed. They injured Mrs. Laurier and stopped the ambnce froming over. They clearly want her dead! Do they seriously think I¡¯d let


    them oft?¡±


    With that, Shaun took out his phone. ¡°Use all means necessary to find a car with this beense te number!¡±


    He told the other party on the <b>phone </b>the te number he remembered. When the car knocked into Mnie, <b>Shaun </b>nced at the license te number and rushed over to help. He had a good memory, so he remembered it at a <b>nce</b>,


    After hanging up, Sham swore frestily, ¡°Whoever it is, I¡¯ll make sure they suffer like hell

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    Nell and the medical staff lifted Mnie into the ambnce. Shaun remembered Lily¡¯s instructions and stopped Neil ¡°Lily said not to touch the <b>silver </b>needles and to perform Merry first


    ¡°Although Ms. Brooks¡¯s silver needies sealed Mrs. Laurier¡¯s acupoints, the situation is <b>very </b>critical,¡± Neil replied grimly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do. Save Mrs. Laurier!¡± Shaun was almost shouting at the top of his voice


    Neil pursed his lips but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Meanwhile, Loid tracked the hit¨Cand¨Crun whicle. The driver seemed to be quite familiar with the roads of Lagersfield He managed to evade Loid¡¯s pursuit several times. Lold stepped on the gas pedal to elerate. However, the car disappeared from his sight.


    Lold¡¯s expression darkened. Suddenly, his phone ring. It was a call from Lily.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He quickly answered and <b>asked</b>, ¡°Lily, how¡¯s my mom?¡±


    He assumed that Lily was assisting in saving Mnie


    ¡°Mnie has been handed over to Neil I¡¯m chasing after the culprit. Follow my location!¡±


    Lily¡¯s phone resembled a sleek, ultra¨Cportableptop at the moment, she stopped and <b>used </b>the satellite system to track the culprit¡¯s whereabouts. After sessfully locating them, she called <b>Lold</b>.


    Mnie¡¯s condition <b>was </b>critical, so they couldn¡¯t waste too much time trying to catch the culprit


    ¡°Okay¡± Lold hung up the call and followed Lily¡¯s location.


    Lily can and leaped. Though she was running, she was faster than the cars. In a matter of minutes, she caught up with the vehicle ahead.


    She sent a silver needle flying toward the car, causing it to swerve violently on the street. She then threw out a few more silver needles to puncture the tires. With that, the car finally stopped


    Just then, Lold arrived. He looked at Lily and pulled her into his arms anxiously. He asked, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?


    ¡°No.¡± Lily stepped out of his embrace and opened the door of the culprit¡¯s car. She dragged a man out of the vehicle.


    Next, Uly pierced several silver needles into the man¡¯s acupoints. She turned to Loid and said, ¡°We should go to the hospital to ensure Mnie is okay. You can deal with this personter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lold didn¡¯t say much. He quickly restarted the car, and they headed to the hospital.


    At Lagersfield City Hospital<b>, </b><b>a </b>crowd had gathered outside the operating rooms. They were all prominent figures of Lagersfield who were there to show their concern. Stefan¡¯s face was pale, and he was in a bad mood. He listened to the chatter of the crowd with a furrowed brow.


    Due to his exemry upbringing, he refrained from getting angry. However, he said in a polite but distant tone, ¡°Thank you all for your concern. My wife is still in surgery. Having too many people around would disturb her restter. <b>Please </b>leave for now


    Since Stefan had spoken, all the people present left without another word. Only Shaun, Daniel, and Stefan remained at the entrance of the operating room.


    Nell was <b>inside</b>, together with the hospital dean and the chief surgeon. They had already prepared the operating room when <b>Sham </b>called.


    At this moment, they were all working to save the patient.


    Soon, the door of the operating room opened. Neil came out with a grave expression. He even showed a hint of sadness.


    He approached Stefan and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Laurier. I did my best, but I couldn¡¯t save Mrs. Laurier.¡±


    When Loid and Lily arrived, they heard Neil¡¯s words. Loid stopped in his tracks with his deep gaze fixed in the direction of the operating room. He couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    On the contrary, Shaun became agitated. ¡°What <b>do </b>you mean you did your best? Answer me, Neil! You¡¯re the best doctor in the medical research institute. How could you¡­¡± Before Shaun could finish his sentence, Lily suddenly grabbed Nell¡¯s cor and pulled him back.


    ¡°Move!¡± shemanded


    Lily walked into the operating room. She nced at the group of doctors and nurses. Then, she said <b>in </b>an icy tone, ¡°All of you, get out!¡±

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    It wasn¡¯t until Lily entered the operating room that Shaun finally realized what had happened. He got all fired up all of a sudden.


    ¡°Yes, we still have Lily! She can definitely save Mrs. Laurier!¡± he cherred


    ¡°But Mrs. Laurier¡¯s heart has stopped beating. Besides Shadowbane, no one else can bring the dead back to life in this world,¡± Nell said with his head <b>down</b>, his voice somewhat


    He hated the fact that his medical skills weren¡¯t good enough for him to save Mnte


    Upon hearing that, Shaun¡¯s face crumpled. He turned and punched the wall heavily. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Loid watched for a while. He then pushed the door to the operation room open and went in. Lily was working hard to save his mother. He should be there to apany her. Seeing <b>that </b>Loid had gone <b>in</b><b>, </b>Shaun and the others followed suit. They all wanted to see if Lily could make a miracle happen and save Mnie.


    In the operation room, Lily put down her acupuncture bag and lifted the white cloth covering Mnie. She took out a silver needle, aimed it at an acupoint, and stuck it there swiftly. Her movements were fast and urate.


    To the eyes of any ordinary person, the way she applied the needle was no different from an aged and experienced traditional doctor. However, Nell noticed at one nce that ber technique was special it was¡­


    ¡°13 Needles of Life?¡± Neil¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he walked over to Lily. His exmation of wonder was so loud that the whole floor could hear him.


    Shaun frowned and scolded, ¡°What the hell was that for? Stop yelling so noisily. Can¡¯t you see that Lily is saving Mrs. Laurier?¡±


    Nell grabbed his arm and pointed at Lily with trembling lips, he said, ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s the 13 Needles of Life! She¡¯s using the 13 Needles of Life!¡±


    ¡°Theard you the first time. <b>What¡¯s </b><b>so </b>special about it?¡± <b>shaun </b>felt annoyed at how Neil was behaving, as if he¡¯d made some discovery of the century.


    Loid heard their exchange and looked up at Lily. His eyes narrowed as he found the phrase ¡°13 Needles of Life¡± vaguely familiar. He seemed to have heard it from somewhere before.


    ¡°S¨C5¨C<b>She¡¯s </b>using Shadowbane¡¯s signature technique¨C13 Needles of Life! With this technique, one can even save <b>a </b>soul that has already reached Hades.¡± Neil gulped hard after exining ¡°Benedict had mentioned before that only Shadowbane knew this technique. No one else in the entire country knows it.¡±


    Lily turned around and shot Neil a cold re.¡°Shut up!¡±


    Neil jumped at being told off and retreated a few steps. Shaun and Daniel stood where they were, absolutely dumbfounded.


    They had never heard of the 13 Needles of Life, but they knew about Shadowbane, the legendary miracle doctor.


    To think that Lily knew Shadowbane¡¯s signature technique Was there anything that she couldn¡¯t do?


    Loid looked at Lily with his eyes lowered. After a while, he raised his head, and a faint smile appeared on his tace. Lily had surprised him yet again.


    Lly didn¡¯t have the time and energy to get in


    involved with their chatter.


    The 13 Needles of Life actually consisted of 105 needles. It was given the name ¡°13 Needles of Life¡± because the 13 needles that <b>could </b>supposedly resurrect the dead were the most


    crucial


    stagger<b>, </b>and colour


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Uly had used this technique, so her movements were masterful and familiar. When she reached the 50th needle, she started to sta began to drain from her face.


    Gold humed over and held her in his arms. His


    is voice was hoarse as he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mling,¡± Lily replied, steadying herself. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and continued to apply the needles.


    Ordinary folks only knew that the 13 Needles <b>of </b>Life could <b>save </b>a life that was on the brink of death. However, none of them knew that applying this technique required drawing vital energy into one¡¯s bodyText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Alter all, this form of energy was very mystical because it didn¡®


    I didn¡¯t exist in the eyes of ordinary people.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    To put it simply, every time Lily used the 13 Needles of Life, she would deplete her own vital energy. She would need a long time to recover after that. So, she wouldn¡¯t use the 13 Needles of Life unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Lily took a deep breath. Her clothes had bepletely drenched in sweat. Without pausing for a moment, she continued applying the needles. She couldn¡¯t stop once she started the technique. She had to insert all 108 silver needles into the patient.


    Finally, Lily finished administering thest needle.


    Mnie, who had been pronounced dead, suddenly opened her eyes. Shaun<b>, </b>Daniel, and Neil widened their eyes in disbebet.


    After a long while, Shaun shouted excitedly, ¡°She¡¯s alive¡­ She¡¯s alive!


    <ol>


    <li>w. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone</li>


    </ol>


    Lily had overexerted herself severely. She struggled to hold herself up. Her voicecked its usual firmness and authority. She sounded merk and gentle now. about the treatment process.¡±


    Shaun nodded hastily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep it confidential¡±


    Loid looked at her and noticed how pale her face was. He frowned and asked again, ¡°Are you really okay?


    Lily looked up, her lips <b>pale</b>. She smiled weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but don¡¯t let anyone disturb me for the next few days. Don¡¯t call for a doctor.¡±


    Right after she said those words, Lily faded into unconsciousness and <b>copsed</b>. The moment she fell, Loid stepped forward and caught her in his arms.


    Without any hesitation, he turned to Shaun and said, ¡°You guys handle things here. I¡¯ll deal with the restter when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Loid took Lily back to Anmer Heights. He carried her out of the car in his arms. As their bodies were close to each other, he could smell the faint scent of herbs Lily gave oft


    Heid Lily on the bed and tucked her in. Only then did he sit by the bedside and observe her.


    Her skin was very fair, and her features seemed to be meticulously carved by the maker. She was stunningly beautiful. With her <b>eyes </b>closed, she looked serene; her longshes quivered slightly. Her rosy lips were sexy and enticing.


    Suddenly, Lily jolted and curled up as if she wanted to wrap herself in a <b>safe </b>cocoon.


    At this moment, Lily was devoid of her usual aggressiveness and arrogance. She seemed somewhat fragile, malding Loid yearn to protect her.


    Loid¡¯s slender fingers gently brushed aside the strands of hair covering her face, his movements gentle. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Lily slept for three days and three nights straight.


    Mnie¡¯s resurrection caused a sensation in the hospital. <b>Doctors </b>couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. They conducted aprehensive examination on her.


    Although some of her organs <b>had </b>not fully recovered, there would be no problems as long as she rested well. Moreover, several of her broken bones had miraculously healed


    Many doctors tried desperately to get Lily¡¯s contact information from <b>Mnie</b>, but she refused them all. Shaun and Daniel interrogated the culprit on the same day, but the culprit seemed to know what awaited him andmitted suicide,


    Mnie and Stefan had visited Lilly several times, <b>but </b>she was always asleep.


    On the third day, Mnie and Stefan came to see Lily again. Since she hadn¡¯t woken up yet, Mnie started to worry. ¡°She¡¯s been sleeping for three days. Could something be wrong? Shouldn¡¯t we get a doctor to check on her?¡±


    Loid nced at her and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me to call for <b>a </b>doctor


    ¡°But we can¡¯t let her keep sleeping like this. What if there¡¯s something wrong with her?¡± Mnie fretted. ¡°She ended up <b>in </b>this state because she tried to <b>save </b>me. If she doesn¡¯t wake up, I will me myself for the <b>rest </b>of my life.¡±


    own body. Nothing bad will happen


    Stefan patted her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Since Lily said not to find a doctor, it means <b>she¡¯s </b>confident about her ow


    ¡°But.¡±


    Loid was getting annoyed and didn¡¯t want to hear her endless worrying. He said coolly, ¡°Go home and wait. Don¡¯t disturb her rest<b>.</b>¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°L¡± Mnie red at him. ¡°I didn¡¯te to see you.¡±


    After that, she ignored Loid and sat aside quietly, waiting for Lily to wake up.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter <b>181</b>


    In the bedroom, Lily¡¯s eyelids lifted to reveal clear, bright eyes. She checked the time on her phone. This time, she had only slept for three days. In the past, after using the 13 Needles of Life, she would need to sleep for at least seven days.


    She closed her eyes and concentrated on her right palm; a wisp of white mist soon emanated from her hand. It was much easier for her to do thispared to before. If she could control it well, using the 13 Needles of Life in the future wouldn¡¯t be so difficult.


    Lily heard Mnie¡¯s voiceing from the living room. She decided that she shouldn¡¯t continue sleeping. So, she got up.


    As soon as she opened the door, everyone in the living room heard the movement.


    Loid was replying to messages on his phone. When he saw Lilying out, he stuffed the phone into his pocket and stood up right away.


    He spoke gently, ¡°Let¡¯s get you some food first.¡±


    When Lily was asleep in the past three days, Loid had food prepared every day. He would rece the food whenever it got cold. He wanted to make sure that Lily would get to eat hot meals when she woke up.


    Lily was indeed hungry. She followed Loid to the dining room, and Mnie followed closely behind. She went to the kitchen and brought out the soup she had prepared in advance.


    With a smile and an exceptionally soft and doting voice, she said, ¡°I made this soup that can nourish your body. Have some first¡±


    Stefan followed behind her. ¡°She just woke up, and you¡¯re letting her drink such greasy soup? I think she should have some oatmeal first¡±


    Shaun, Neil, and Daniel didn¡¯t tag along when the Lauriers made their way to the dining room. At a time like this, they knew better than to stick around and disrupt their family


    time.


    Lily had slept for three days straight, so she needed to eat first. Any burning questions they had would have to wait until Lily was done eating.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll have the soup.¡± Lily wanted to say she¡¯d have alcohol instead.


    But then, if she were to drink alcohol now, Mnie and Stefan would nag at her. Even Loid wouldn¡¯t allow it either. She never enjoyed being lectured, so she decided against it. Loid liked to go all out. He prepared a table full of dishes for Lily. There were all sorts of delicacies that looked scrumptious and smelled exceptionally aromatic. Even someone like Lily, who wasn¡¯t very particr about food, salivated at the sight of it.


    After the meal, Mnie asked about Lily¡¯s condition, and they chatted for a while.


    Stefan wasn¡¯t much of a talker himself. After all, he had been in the business world for a long time, so he naturally exuded an imposing air. He was afraid of scaring Lily, so he didn¡¯t say much.


    When Lily had eaten enough, she wiped her mouth and leaned back in her chair.


    She asked casually, ¡°Have you interrogated the person who hit Mnie?¡±


    ¡°Hemitted suicide,¡± Loid answered tenderly. He sat beside Lily and poured her a cup of warm water. But a glint shed in his eyes when he talked about the culprit. ¡°He was very cunning and left no trace behind.¡±


    Lily¡¯s gaze darkened. She tapped her slender fingers on the tabletop slowly.


    After a moment, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t let Mnie go out for the time being. Her body can¡¯t withstand something like this for a second time.¡±


    She paused and continued, ¡°That person is very familiar with the roads <b>in </b>Lagersfield, and there was someone outside the city waiting for him.¡±


    That day, when she and Loid chased the culprit, he was heading toward the city¡¯s outskirts. He was very clever in making a big detour to avoid leaving any traces before heading <b>out </b>of the city borders. If Lily hadn¡¯t tracked him with the satellite system, they would have had no clues even now.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Loid held her hand and said softly, <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll handle this. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    He patted her head and asked worriedly, ¡°How¡¯s your body? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡±


    He had seen her faint twice. One was when she had her period and got soaked. She woke up fairly soon that time.


    This time was the longest she had slept. For three full days, he had agonized over her every minute, afraid that <b>she </b>wouldn¡¯t wake up again. Lily held too many <b>secrets</b>, so <b>he </b>was constantly afraid that she would disappear one day.


    Lily turned her head sideways and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m good! I can even drink a carton of wine with no problem.¡±

 Chapter 182

    Chapter <b>182</b>


    1/1


    Loid¡¯s expression darkened when he heard that. ¡°You¡¯ll never see another drop of alcohol in this house again.¡±


    That was outrageous. Lily had been unconscious for three days, and the first thing she asked for when she woke up was more alcohol. He decided he would stow everyst bottle


    away.


    Lily was speechless. She rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Actually, I can drink some alcohol.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t an alcoholic. She just liked drinking alcohol. Drinking could help her alleviate her frustration when she was in a bad mood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink anymore!¡± Loid said resolutely.


    Lily relented. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She stood up and walked over to Mnie. Then, she ced her fingers on Mnie¡¯s wrist to check her pulse with a serious expression.


    After a while, she withdrew her hand. ¡°Mnie is fine now, but it will take some time for her damaged organs to recover.¡±


    After pondering for a while, she went to her bedroom to get a small ceramic bottle, which she handed to Mnie.


    ¡°Hold on to this bottle of pills and keep it on you at all times. Take one if your life is ever in danger. It¡¯ll save your life.¡±


    ¡°This is too valuable. I can¡¯t possibly take it.¡± Mnie frantically tried to give it back to Lily.


    She could never forget how much that bottle of SIgnora Cream was worth. It was 50,000 dors for such a small bottle.


    The bottle of life¨Csaving pills would probably be worth way more than that.


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t afford that amount. She was just worried that the pills were hard to make and Lily wouldn¡¯t have any left for herself <b>if </b>she gave them to her.


    ¡°Just take it. I can make more at any time. It isn¡¯t that much trouble.¡±


    Lily put the bottle in Mnie¡¯s hands, pursed her lips, and said, ¡°If you want to thank me, just give me some herbs.¡±


    Tears shimmered in Mnie¡¯s eyes as she epted the pills.


    Naturally, she understood Lily¡¯s gesture of goodwill. Lily didn¡¯t want her to feel pressured, so she just asked her to give her some herbs.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mnie wanted to say something, but Stefan patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Just ept the gift. She¡¯s giving it to you because she sees you as family. She probably wouldn¡¯t give. these pills to an outsider.¡±


    Stefan knew that Lily was a skilled medical practitioner. Nheless, her skills still surpassed his expectations. She was able <b>to </b>save someone from the clutches of death.


    She was probably among the best medical practitioners in the country. The medicine she gave was precious.


    If the others in Bridgeport ever found out about it, they would try to get their hands on the pills.


    Lily gave them something so valuable because she saw them as her family. Since they were family, there was no need to hold back.


    Naturally, they would also provide Lily with the best of everything in return.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Mnie decided to ept the bottle of pills after thinking about it.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She also made up her mind to start traveling around in search of rare and expensive herbs. Since Lily loved medical research so much, Mnie decided she would provide her with more herbs so she could attain greater heights in the medical field.


    Shaun had a lot of questions for Lily, but Mnie didn¡¯t stop talking with her, so he didn¡¯t get the chance to ask.


    He waited anxiously and finally snapped. He pulled Lily over and asked, ¡°Lily, please tell¡­ tell me if you¡¯re Shadowbane.¡±


    As soon as he said that, everyone turned to look at Lily except Loid.


    He seerned to have figured out Lily¡¯s identity but didn t hring it up. Shaun just couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore.

 Chapter 183

    <b>Chapter </b><b>183</b>


    Lily rubbed her temples speechlessly. She knew people would recognize her if she used the 13 Needles of Life. As expected, she was exposed.


    She frowned slightly as she looked at Shaun. Then, she patted his shoulder and said grandly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Damn! You¡¯re really Shadowbane?¡± Shaun eximed.


    Mnie and Stefan were also stunned. They never thought Lily could be Shadowbane. After all, the rumors said Shadowbane was an elderly person with a weird personality. They thought Shadowbane was an old man with a bad temper.


    That was why they never thought Lily could be Shadowbane despite her unbelievable medical skills.


    Who could¡¯ve thought a 19¨Cyear¨Cold youngdy could be the renowned Shadowbane?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Lily smirked. Then, she walked over to lean on the couch without saying anything.


    Shaun recovered from his shock. He stood before Lily and gazed at her. After a while, he muttered, ¡°How could I have missed something like this?¡±


    He finally understood why Lily would look at him incredulously back when he said she was Shadowbane¡¯s student.


    She was Shadowbane herself! Of course, she wasn¡¯t Shadowbane¡¯s student.


    Lily gave him a look as if saying, ¡°Now you know,¡± and he got a little emotional.


    How could there be such a huge difference between two humans?


    Why was a 19¨Cyear¨Cold youngdy a renowned miracle doctor while he was nothing but a rich scion?


    It was quite a shock for him. He hung his head and sat on the couch without saying another word.


    It took Mnie a while before she snapped back to reality. She looked at Lily, then shifted her gaze toward Loid.


    In the end, she took Stefan¡¯s hand and walked away.


    Just as she got to the door, she stopped and turned to look at Loid again. Then, she yelled, ¡°You brat! She is too good for you!¡±


    Loid was speechless. He looked at Lily sullenly and raised his eyebrow slightly as if saying, ¡°Can¡¯t you keep a lower profile?¡±


    Lily saw his gaze and shrugged, implying she didn¡¯t want things to turn out like that either.


    Neil was so shocked by the fact that Lily was Shadowbane that he couldn¡¯t even talk.


    When he saw her using the 13 Needles of Life in the operating room, he thought Shadowbane taught her the technique. He didn¡¯t expect her to be Shadowbane at all.


    He stood frozen in ce for a long time. Then, he went over and kneeled before Lily. He said excitedly, ¡°Ms. Brooks, please let me study under you.¡±


    Lily was at a loss for words. Did she look like she had so much free time on her hands?


    ¡°I will definitely study diligently. Please, Ms. Brooks, take me as your student.¡± Neil kneeled before her adamantly. He had made up his mind. He had to get Lily to make him her student, no matter what.


    Lily rubbed her temples. She was a little impressed by his determination. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to take on students.¡±


    Neil looked at her with a sad expression without saying a word.


    Lily looked at Loid and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you deal with this?¡±


    Loid got up, picked up Neil expressionlessly, and threw him out.


    Then, he also threw Shaun and Daniel out of there.


    Peace instantly returned to the vi.


    Loid sat next to Lily and ced his head on herp. He saidzily, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let me sleep for a bit.¡±


    Lily looked at him and saw that he looked quite fatigued. It seemed like he didn¡¯t sleep well for the past three days.

 Chapter 184

    <b>Chapter </b>184


    Lily felt moved for some reason. She took a nket and covered him with it. They didn¡¯t speak another word, but the atmosphere between them became more peaceful.


    At <b>the </b>same time, Shannon was kneeling outside the study of Summerskye Vi.


    ? ? ? ? ??


    She sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. Please forgive me. I didn¡¯t kill Jason. It really has nothing to do with me. Please believe me.¡±


    <b>No </b>one responded to her cries. Her eyes were already swollen from crying, and her face was very pale.


    Liam had shut himself in the study since returning from the banquet.


    In those three days, he didn¡¯t eat or drink anything.


    Shannon would¡¯ve thought something had happened to him if she hadn¡¯t heard the voicesing from the study.


    She regretted not holding back at the banquet and admitting what she did to Jason.


    She became shunned by the entire Martinez family. Julia was so angry that she fell sick. Susan cried in her room every day, and Liam shut himself in the study.


    Lionel and his side of the family looked on as they made a fool of themselves.


    Shannon had truly done something unforgivable.


    She kept crying. ¡°Dad, pleasee out of the study, okay? You should still eat something even if you don¡¯t talk to me. You haven¡¯t eaten for days. I¡¯m very worried about you. I promise you I won¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡±


    Shannon cried very loudly. The housekeeper, who was hiding in a corner, also felt bad for her.


    Although the housekeeper didn¡¯t know what happened in the Martinez family, she knew Shannon was a kind person who never mistreated the house staff. So, she felt really sad when she saw Shannon crying so profusely.


    After some time, the study¡¯s door finally opened. Liam walked out and looked at Shannon coldly. ¡°I called your teacher. You don¡¯t need to go to school anymore starting from the


    next semester.


    ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to take a leave of absence from school. You¡¯ll be going to your aunt¡¯s house in Bridgeport. She will arrange a dance teacher for you, and you¡¯ll learn dance


    from that teacher.¡±


    He tilted his head upward with a deste expression. ¡°You cane back when it¡¯s time to take the SATS. You¡¯ll be on your own after that. Good or bad, you¡¯ve already made your. choices<b>. </b>This is all I can do for you.¡±


    Shannon¡¯s expression changed drastically. She grabbed Liam¡¯s pants and said, ¡°Dad, I was wrong. I really was. I¡¯ll turn over a new leaf. Please don¡¯t kick me out, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you out. I¡¯m just letting you walk the path most suited for you,¡± Liam said expressionlessly.


    ¡°Bu¡­ But¡­ I got very good grades for the midterms this time. I¡¯ll definitely be able <b>to </b>get into the University of Bridgeport in the future.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If I take an extended leave of absence now, I won¡¯t be able to make it. Dad, please don¡¯t be so cruel to me. I made a mistake, but I didn¡¯t kill Jason. <b>I </b>just¡­ I just don¡¯t want to go. I don¡¯t want to leave the family.¡±


    Shannon started to babble as tears kept streaming down her face. She kept pleading with Liam, but he remained resolute.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision. I¡¯ll be buying a ne ticket for you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Shannon wanted to say something more, but Liam shook off her hands and left without sparing her another nce.


    Back in Anmer Heights, Lily slowly fell asleep after Loid was asleep.


    Then, the door phone rang. Lily frowned and was about to get up to answer, but Loid, who had been sound asleep a moment before, got up and stopped her.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll answer it.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Mr. Laurier, there¡¯s a Mr. Martinez here who wishes to see Ms. Brooks. He says he is Ms. Brooks¡® stepfather,¡± the security guard said politely.


    Loid turned around to look at Lily. After thinking about it for a moment, he said, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    He hung up and went <b>to </b>sit on the couch. Then, he pulled Lily into his arms and said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Lily looked at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you order food delivery?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat food from a restaurant.¡±


    Maybe it was because he just woke up, but his voice sounded slightlyzy with a hint of huskiness.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Lily thought he was too tired and not in <b>the </b>mood for oily food.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Before she could react, Loid grabbed the back of her head and <b>pressed </b>his lips on <b>hers</b>. The scent of her lips drove away his drowsiness.


    Lily was stunned.

 Chapter 185

    <b>Chapter </b><b>185</b>


    Loid¡¯s kiss was passionate and a little domineering.


    <b>Lily¡¯s </b>body stiffened, and her face was flushed. She could also feel her heart pounding.


    There was a hint of tobo in his mouth. He also started breathing heavily as Lily responded to his kiss, albeit a little awkwardly.


    Suddenly, his hand reached under her shirt, and her skin grew hot from his touch. She froze in shock and even stopped breathing as she stared intensely at Loid.


    It was like Lily had a magical allure. Loid went into a trance as soon as their lips touched. He could no longer control himself, and his kiss became more forceful.


    His hands slowly reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, exposing her bare skin. His mind went nk. There was only one thought going through his head.


    He wanted her. He wanted her to bepletely his.


    The doorbell suddenly rang as he was about to take things further.


    He stopped what he was doing while his breathing wasbored. He looked at Lily andmented hisck of self¨Ccontrol.


    He gave her a peck on her lips and said hoarsely, ¡°You¡¯re too young. You have to grow up faster.¡±


    He adjusted his clothes and went to open the door, but he still felt hot and bothered.


    Lily cleared her throat and put her shirt back on properly. She leaned back on the couch. Her face was still bright red.


    Liam walked into the room. He immediately noticed that Lily had her head lowered with an awkward expression. The atmosphere in the room was a little strange.


    Lily patted her burning cheeks and tried to regain herposure.


    After a while, she raised her head to look at Liam and greeted him, ¡°Hi, Mr. Martinez.¡±


    Liam didn¡¯t expect Lily to be so polite and was a little shocked. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯vee to pay you a visit.¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Please sit.¡±


    Loid went to the kitchen to get two sses of water for Liam and Lily.


    Liam was shocked by his hospitality. Meanwhile, Lily took her ss very naturally. Her fingers reflexively shrunk back when she touched his hand.


    Liam took a sip of the water. Then, he looked at Lily hesitantly and said, ¡°Lily, I apologize for what happened at the banquet in Shannon¡¯s stead.


    ¡°I failed to educate her properly. I know I do not have the right to ask you to forgive her. I¡¯ve sent her away from Lagersfield. Can¡­ Can you please let her off the hook, for


    Lily raised her head and smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Liam didn¡¯t expect her to agree to his request so easily. He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Are you really willing to forgive her?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Martinez, you¡¯re the only person I respect in the Martinez family. You¡¯re a good man. Your son is a good person, too.


    ¡°The Martinez family shouldn¡¯t be controlled by your mother. Your family will definitely flourish if you¡¯re at the helm.¡±


    <b>my</b>


    sake?¡±


    Liam smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m a failure of a father. I raised a good son, but I spoiled my daughter. I¡¯m not happy about the family¡¯s current state. If Jason were still alive, he wouldn¡¯t want to see the family he tried so hard to support in shambles.¡±


    He sighed and continued, ¡°But I have no choice. My mother has always been the head of the family. She also favors my brother more. He¡¯ll probably be the next head of the family. When that happens, the Martinez family will probably go bankrupt really quickly.¡±


    If Loid was willing to offer an investment, the Martinez family could hold on for a little longer, but he had already withdrawn his investment.


    With what happened at the banquet, it would be very hard for the Martinez family to find another investor.


    Julia was bedridden because of Shannon¡¯s antics. Thepany waspletely in Lionel¡¯s control. Liam knew Lionel all too well. Thepany probably wouldn¡¯tst two months.


    Loidzily leaned back on the couch and ced Lily¡¯s hand on his thigh. He nced at Loid but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Lily took a sip of her water and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve already transferred the 20 percent shares given to me by the Martinez family to you.¡±


    Liam looked at her in shock. ¡°Why¡­ would you do that?¡±


    He had only known Lily for a few days. He thought she was a cold person with a bad temper because she was abandoned by her mother at a young age.


    She probably came to the Martinez family filled with hatred in her heart, Also, she never got along with Susan or anyone in the Martinez family. It was clear she didn¡¯t like the Martinez family.


    <b>So</b><b>, </b>when he got here to plead for Shannon, he thought Lily would make things difficult for him.


    But she was extremely easygoing and even gave the <b>20 </b>percent shares she took from the Martinez family back to him.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    All of a sudden, he didn¡¯t understand what Lily was thinking.


    Lily looked at him and pursed her lips. Then, she stood up and said, Let me take you to a ce.¡±

 Chapter 186

    <b>Chapter </b><b>186</b>


    Lily gave Loid a look as if asking for permission.


    Loid thought for a second and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Liam didn¡¯t ask where Lily was taking him. He just followed her out <b>of </b>the door.


    Shaun, Daniel, and Neil were still waiting outside. They rushed over when they saw Loid andpanying out.


    Shaun said impishly, ¡°Are you going out, Mr. Laurier? Can Ie with you?¡±


    Loid nced at him calmly. Then, he handed him the car keys. ¡°You drive.¡±


    He wondered if he should just send the bunch of them to Freeqa so they wouldn¡¯t be able to disturb him when he was spending time with Lily.


    Daniel and Neil brought Liam to another car.


    They drove to Loid¡¯s private hospital. Then, Lily brought Liam to Jason¡¯s ward.


    Liam was at a loss for words when he saw Jason on the bed. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t Jason¡­¡±


    Dead? His body was already cremated, too. Why would he show up here?


    Lily pulled a chair over and gestured for Liam to sit.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Liam still couldn¡¯t believe what was before his eyes and was still in shock.


    ¡°How is this possible? I saw him being cremated with my own eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Laurier, what you see may not be the truth. Loid was the one who saved him. Although he¡¯s still alive, he¡¯s no different from a corpse. It¡¯ll take a lot of effort to heal him.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She stuffed her hands into her pockets and looked at Jason. Her gaze became a little warmer. ¡°I brought you here to see him because I want you to realize that he was the one who single¨Chandedly brought the Martinez family to where it is today. You have to keep going for his sake.¡±


    It took Liam a good while before he was able toe to terms with the news. He looked at Lily as realization struck him. ¡°So, the two of you knew each other from before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lily replied bluntly.


    ¡°When? I¡¯ve never heard him talk about you.¡±


    Lily thought for a bit and said, ¡°Around ten years ago.¡±


    Liam said in disbelief, ¡°Ten years ago? How old were you back then? How did you get to know each other?¡±


    Lily frowned a little and said speechlessly, ¡°Well¡­ we just happened to meet each other.¡±


    Liam was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Mr. Martinez, please don¡¯t tell anyone else that Jason is still alive. As for the Martinez family, I trust you know what you need to do, right?¡± Lily asked calmly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Liam had been through a lot in his time. He was able <b>to </be to terms with what he learned after a while.


    Jason being alive was great news for him.


    Lily nodded, ¡°Looking at the Martinez family¡¯s current situation, they probably won¡¯tst too long. I¡¯ll invest some money into thepany when you¡¯ve seized control <b>of </b>the family¡¯spany. I¡¯ll help Jason protect what he holds dear.¡±

 Chapter 187

    <b>Chapter 187</b>


    Liam looked at Lily as he fell deep into thought.


    After a while, he said, ¡°So, everything you¡¯ve done before the Martinez family is just an act?¡±


    Lily smiled as she patted Liam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stay here and keep himpany for a bit. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer Liam¡¯s question. She didn¡¯t need to.


    1/1


    In a luxurious vi in Bridgeport, a man in a suit was standing before the window. He was looking at the flowers blooming in the garden outside.


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Someone walked in and said politely, ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°How goes the investigation?¡± the man asked as he looked at the sky. His gaze was cold and unfeeling.


    ¡°The guy we sent hasmitted suicide. One thing I can confirm is that Mnie has stopped breathing. I don¡¯t know how she was resurrected. The hospital kept that


    information a secret.<b>¡±</b>


    The man¡¯s subordinate paused for a moment before saying, ¡°It must be as you guessed, sir. Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e must be responsible for that feat. Mnie was revived after she went to the hospital. Rumors say that she passed out for three days after that.¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°That should be the case. Loid is such a lucky man to have a fianc¨¦e with such amazing medical skills.¡±


    ¡°Should I head to Lagersfield and capture Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡±


    The man turned over and adjusted his cor nonchntly. ¡°Have you done a background check on her?¡±


    ¡°I did. Her name is Lily Brooks. She lived in the countryside with her grandmother since she was young. Her father went missing before she was born. Her mother abandoned her to marry a rich guy.¡±


    The subordinate paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Her mother is the daughter¨Cinw of the Martinez family in Lagersfield Lily was brought to Lagersfield to be married off in Shannon Martinez¡¯s stead.


    ¡°Shannon was the one who caught Loid Laurier¡¯s eye. But there were rumors about Loid being disfigured and not having long to live. So, Shannon was unwilling to marry him. So, Lily took her ce.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression darkened a little, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°This Lily woman is a troublemaker in school. She has bad grades, too. She even broke Jack Dalton¡¯s leg a while ago. The strange thing was Jack¡¯s leg healed overnight.¡±


    The subordinate¡¯s investigation was very thorough. He even found out about Lily¡¯s likes and dislikes.


    But the man didn¡¯t seem happy with the results. ¡°The data you¡¯ve gathered is too basic. A woman with such amazing medical skills can¡¯t be a simple country girl. I want more specific details. Details that others can¡¯t find.¡±


    The subordinate lowered his head and said, ¡°We¡¯ve utilized all the channels we have. This is all the information we managed to find. It seems like some information about her has been hidden intentionally.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right. If information about someone like her isn¡¯t hidden, every prominent family in the country would be trying to get her to work for them.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should we do next?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and dig up more detailed information about her. This incident caught the attention of the Laurier family. We need toy low for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After his subordinate left, the man turned around and wrapped his fingers around a flower on the windowsill, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.


    Lily Brooks? Interesting!


    Back in Lagersfield, Loid forced Lily to take a few days off to rest. He only allowed her to return to school after he confirmed she was healthy again.


    The people in ss 18 missed Lily because she hadn¡¯t gone to school for quite some time. So, when she got to the ssroom that morning, everyone went up to her and asked her how she was doing.


    Lily wasn¡¯t as cold to her ssmates as before. She talked with them for a bit with a smile on her face.


    The first period was math ss. Lily¡¯s phone lit up shortly after ss started. She was shocked when she saw the caller ID.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She stood up and said, ¡°Mr. Everton, I have to take a call.¡±

 Chapter 188

    <b>Chapter </b><b>188</b>


    ¡°<b>Go </b>ahead.¡± John nced at Lily and hesitated for a moment, but he didn¡¯t reject her request.


    She was the one that brought ss 18 to the top. He didn¡¯t have a reason not to let her take the call. That was a privilege she rightfully deserved.


    Lily went to the washroom. She turned on a voice changer before she took the call. ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°The Weiss family will be auctioning the Crimson Leaf on Saturday. When are youing to Bridgeport? I¡¯ll go get you.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was a little cold.


    Lily frowned. ¡°Why <b>so </b>sudden?¡±


    Saturday? That was in two more days.


    ¡°This is thetest information. A while ago, someone went to the Weiss Residence and tried to take the Crimson Leaf from them. They didn¡¯t want to hold on to it anymore, so they decided to auction it off.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll head to Bridgeport tomorrow.¡±


    Lily hung up and went to the principal¡¯s office.


    ¡°Mr. Woodley.¡± Lily walked into the office and greeted Joseph politely.


    Joseph got up frantically and said, ¡°Come. Take a seat.¡±


    Lily nodded and sat down across from Joseph.


    ¡°Why have youe to me at this hour? Is something wrong?¡± Joseph asked gently as he poured out a ss of water for Lily.


    Lily had been a student of Ember Creek High School for over two months. Before that, she had onlye to the principal¡¯s office once, which was during the first day of school.


    ¡°I want to take a few days off school,¡± Lily said slowly.


    ¡°You only need to speak to your homeroom teacher about it. There¡¯s no need to talk to me about that, right?¡± Joseph asked in confusion.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing I want to talk about.¡± Lily pursed her lips in hesitation.


    Joseph looked at her and said, ¡°Just tell me if you need anything. I¡¯ll help you however I can.¡±


    Lily had never asked him for any favors before. It was probably something quite tricky for her toe to him and ask.


    Lily lowered her head in thought for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned before that the head of the Weiss family owes you a favor, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Joseph nodded. ¡°That¡¯s something that happened over a decade ago. Why are you bringing it up now?¡±


    ¡°The Weiss family is having an auction for the Crimson Leaf tomorrow. Can you please call in the favor and ask them what the starting bid for the Crimson Leaf is?¡±


    Joseph¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°You¡¯re taking time off from school to participate in the auction in Bridgeport?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lily nodded.


    ¡°Lily, I can help you with anything else, but I can¡¯t do anything for you when ites to this.¡±


    Joseph fell silent for a while before adding, ¡°This is the only Crimson Leaf in the world. It¡¯s not only those people in Bridgeport that are after it. Even people from the Hidden Families have their eyes on it.¡±


    After another pause, he said, ¡°I can tell you right now that even if the Weiss family tells you the starting bid right now, the final price will still be way higher, you know?¡±


    Lily frowned as she tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°So you mean this incident is linked to the Hidden Families?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s right. The public only knows that the Weiss family is trying to auction off the Crimson Leaf because they¡¯re having cash flow issues.


    ¡°What they don¡¯t know is that the Hidden Families have been interested in the Crimson Leaf for quite some time. They basically strong¨Carmed the Weiss family into auctioning the Crimson Leaf.¡±


    Joseph took a sip and said with a grim expression, ¡°The Weiss family wants everything to be handled publicly. That way, the Hidden Families will vie for the Crimson Leaf among themselves.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. I can¡¯t. This matter isn¡¯t just about the Weiss family.¡±


    Joseph stood up and patted Lily on the shoulder. ¡°You may not know this yet, but the Four Great Families are in turmoil right now.¡± Hidden Families<b>.</b>


    They are also not under the control of the


    ¡°So, the hidden families want to help bring less prominent families into power. Things are very messy in Bridgeport. You shouldn¡¯t <b>go </b><b>if </b>you don¡¯t need to go.¡± Lily stayed silent for a bit before saying, ¡°I understand. Thanks, Mr. Woodley.¡±

 Chapter 189

    <b>Chapter </b><b>189</b>


    <b>Lily </b>returned to Anmer Heights right after leaving the principal¡¯s office.


    Loid was discussing something with Shaun. He turned around and saw Lily when he heard the sound of the door opening.


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re early today.¡±


    Lily nodded. She was a little unhappy. ¡°I have something to tend to.¡±


    She went upstairs right after she said that.


    Loid watched as she left. His expression darkened a little. It seemed like she also received news about the Weiss family¡¯s auction.


    Shaun nced at Lily. Then, he turned around to look at Loid and said, ¡°Reports from Bridgeport say the prominent families in the city have been gathering information on Lily.


    ¡°Although information about her has been hidden, some people were still able to pick up on something. She¡¯ll be in great danger if they find out she¡¯s Shadowbane.¡±


    Loid lit a cigarette and took a puff. He exhaled the smoke with a vicious look on his face.


    ¡°Tell all of the members of the Stygian Network toe back.¡±


    Shaun was stunned. ¡°All of them? What about Freega? Things have been quite chaotic there recently. Ken won¡¯t be able tost much longer. Panther raids our warehouses every other day. If this keeps up, we won¡¯t be able to maintain control of our turf.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s keep Panther upied.¡± Loid narrowed his eyes. ¡°Haven¡¯t the International Police been looking for him? Have someone leak his whereabouts to Antoine. He probably wants Panther in cuffs pretty badly.¡±


    Shaun smiled.¡± That¡¯s a great idea. We¡¯ll deal with Panther after we¡¯ve settled the matters in Bridgeport. But Panther works for Alchos. The Kobra Crew helps him cover his tracks every time. Antoine probably wouldn¡¯t be able to capture him so easily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. We just need to keep him busy.¡± Loid snuffed out his cigarette.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll work on it now.¡± Shaun nodded.


    Loid nodded and turned to look at the stairs. ¡°Buy one more ne ticket.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Shaun was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re bringing Lily to Bridgeport?¡±


    Loid looked at him and said slowly, ¡°She¡¯ll go either way.¡±


    He knew Lily¡¯s personality too well. No one could convince her otherwise when she had made up her mind, especially when her grandmother¡¯s and Jason¡¯s lives were concerned.


    No one could stop her from getting to Bridgeport. So, he wouldn¡¯t stop her either.


    ¡°But have you thought about what would happen if she meets with your family? Knowing how she is, it¡¯ll probably¡­¡±


    Shaun sighed. ¡°Think carefully. Her angering the Laurier family isn¡¯t even your main concern. What if the Lauriers cross her, and she breaks up with you?¡±


    Loid narrowed his eyes and stared daggers at Shaun.


    Shaun jumped in fright. He quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Don¡¯t take my words to heart.¡±


    Suddenly, Shaun received a text. He lowered his head to look and looked up again abruptly.


    Loid nced at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Venom has arrived in Bridgeport,¡± Shaun said solemnly.


    Lily, who was walking down the stairs, froze in her tracks when she heard that. A glint appeared in her eyes.


    Loid got up and said coldly, ¡°Tell Daniel to bring the car. We¡¯ll head to Bridgeport right away.¡±


    He turned around and noticed Lily walking down the stairs. He went over to her and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Bridgeport today?¡±


    Lily looked at him in shock. ¡°You¡¯reing, too?¡°;


    She only heard Shaun saying that Venom had arrived in Bridgeport. She hadn¡¯t heard what Loid had said before that.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll <b>go </b>right now.¡± Loid¡¯s attitude was gentler when he was with Lily.


    Lily nodded without saying anything.


    Daniel soon arrived with the car. Everyone got in, and they set off for Bridgeport.


    While they were on the road, Lily took out her phone and sent Elijah a text. ¡°Take out all the funds and transfer them to me.¡± She soon received a reply. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get it done immediately

 Chapter 190

    <b>Chapter </b>190


    Loid turned around and happened to see Lily¡¯s texts. His eyes darkened a little as he said hoarsely, ¡°You can use my money.¡±


    <b>She </b>smiled at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll feel better if I use my own money.¡±


    Loid felt like there was a lump in his throat. He looked at her with an aggrieved expression. ¡°I¡¯m your fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re just my fianc¨¦,¡± Lily said with a faint smile.


    Loid was at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t feel like talking to her anymore.


    7/1


    The car arrived outside the courtyard of the Laurier Residence after four hours.


    The Laurier Residence is the most expensive private residential building in Bridgeport. It consisted of several different vis, and the design was akin to a pce. It was grand and


    luxurious.


    Loid held Lily¡¯s hand as she stepped out of the car. Shaun stayed in the car. He still needed to find Venom¡¯s whereabouts.


    Lord stopped at the entrance and looked at Lily. ¡°When you¡¯re inside, do not reveal your medical skills under any circumstances.¡±


    Lily raised an eyebrow and looked at him with an amused expression. ¡°Mr. Laurier, is your home a very dangerous ce?¡±


    Loid frowned. ¡°Pretty much. Anyway, you have to hide your medical skills. Neil will be here soon. If anything happens, just let him take care of it.¡±


    After pausing for a while, he said solemnly, ¡°Do not reveal your skills even if I¡¯m the one who¡¯s injured.¡±


    Lily narrowed her eyes as her demeanor became cold. She looked at Loid and then withdrew her gaze expressionlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±


    Daniel pressed the doorbell, and a middle¨Caged woman soon opened the door.


    The woman smiled when she saw Loid. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Loid. Pleasee in. Mr. Laurier Senior, your uncles, and aunts have been waiting for you since they learned that you wereing home.¡±


    The Laurier family was massive. Arthur Laurier had five sons and two daughters. Stefan was Arthur¡¯s third son, while Loid was his seventh grandchild. The maids in the


    household addressed Loid as Mr. Loid.


    ¡°Hi, Ms. Evans,¡± Loid greeted Da Evans calmly. Then, he led Lily into the house.


    It was very lively in the living room of the Laurier Residence,


    Some people were making small talk, and some were talking about business. There was even someone ying the piano. It was very noisy.


    Lily frowned as soon as she walked in. She didn¡¯t like noisy ces.


    The room went silent the moment Loid and Lily entered.


    A middle¨Caged woman walked over and held Loid¡¯s hand. She said sweetly, ¡°Loid, you¡¯re really cured! That¡¯s great! We¡¯ve all been so anxious since you fell sick. Can you tell us who the miracle doctor who healed you was?¡±


    As soon as the woman said that, she briefly shifted her gaze toward Lily before looking away again.


    Loid quietly withdrew his hand from her grasp. He sneered and said, ¡°¡®Aunt Nora, are you really d that I¡¯m healed?¡±


    The woman was Loid¡¯s aunt, Nora Laurier. She was 45 years old and was married to the Albott family¡¯s heir, one of the Hidden Families.


    Backed by the Albott family¡¯s immense wealth, Nora became extremely arrogant and thought everyone else was inferior to her.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A few years ago, the Albott family helped her son be the mayor of Hearthdale. That only made her look down on the rest of the Laurier family even more.


    Every time she returned home, she would boast about the Albott family and her son.


    Nora¡¯s expression stiffened for a while when she heard what Loid said. ¡°What are you saying? Of course, I¡¯m happy to see that you¡¯re healed.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Loid said with narrowed eyes. A glint shed in his eyes before he withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°Loid, you¡¯re finally home!¡± a slender woman suddenly rushed over to hug Loid. Her voice was soft and sweet.


    Lily narrowed her eyes immediately. She turned to look at Loid and saw him spreading his arms with a stiff expression. He was clearly trying to keep his distance from that woman.


    Lily smiled impishly. She grabbed the woman by the cor and pulled her away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he is a clean freak. He doesn¡¯t like physical contact with others<b>.</b>¡±

 Chapter 191

    <b>Chapter </b>191


    The woman staggered and almost lost her bnce because Lily pulled her by the cor.


    Loid looked at Lily and smiled. Was she jealous? It was a good sign.


    The woman steadied herself and red at Lily. <b>¡°</b>Hey? Who do you think you are? Why are <b>you </b><b>so </b>rude? Do you know who I am?¡±


    <b>Lily </b>raised an eyebrow and nced at Loid as if interrogating him about his rtionship with the woman.


    Loid shrugged at her with an innocent expression.


    Lily epted that. She turned to look at the woman while her hands were stuffed in her pockets. Then, she said nonchntly, ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    Her words angered the woman even more. The woman went up to Loid and tried to hold his hand, but Lily appeared before Loid instantly.


    The woman stomped her leg in frustration when she didn¡¯t get what she wanted.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Loid, is this person a bodyguard you¡¯ve just hired? She¡¯s so rude, acting like this in Laurier Residence. Please put her in her ce.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Loid asked with a smile. He seemed very happy because Lily was getting jealous over him.


    Lily nced at him coldly and walked to the side. ¡°Go ahead and hug her then, Mr. Laurier.¡±


    Loid¡¯s lips twitched. He had overdone it. Lily was getting angry.


    ¡°Loid¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s face flushed when she noticed that Loid was exchanging nces with Lily.


    Before she could say anything else, someone called out to her, ¡°Ynda, stop it. Loid just got home. Let him catch his breath.¡±


    A woman came over and pulled Ynda Albott away. She nced at Lily, then shifted her gaze toward Loid. ¡°Please don¡¯t hold it against her. She has been spoiled rotten by me. She also hasn¡¯t seen you in a long time. That¡¯s why she acted out.¡±


    Loid looked at the woman expressionlessly.


    At that moment, the rest of the Lauriers came over and started to make small talk with Loid. All of them had fake smiles on their faces. Barely any of them actually meant what they said.


    They all noticed Lily, but none talked to her or asked why she was there. They unanimously treated her as a stranger. Some of them also thought she was Loid¡¯s bodyguard.


    Lily stood in ce without saying a word. Then, Daniel walked over to her and exined softly, ¡°Ms. Brooks, that woman is the sister¨Cinw of Loid¡¯s aunt. Her name is Joanne Albott.


    ¡°She is the youngest daughter of the main branch of the Albott family and holds a high status within the family.¡±


    Lily nodded. She could see that Joanne was a very arrogant woman. She probably looked down on everyone she came across.


    Even Nora had to act submissively before her.


    ¡°That woman is Ynda Albott. She¡¯s Joanne¡¯s only daughter and the favorite granddaughter of the Albott family,¡± Daniel said as he pointed at the woman who had tried to hug Loid a moment ago.


    Then, he added, ¡°Ms. Albott used to visit Laurier Residence frequently when she was a child. She spent a lot of time following Loid around.


    ¡°Initially, the Albott family wanted to arrange a marriage between her and Loid. But then they heard that Loid was poisoned and disfigured. So, they called it off.¡±


    Daniel was afraid that Lily might have a misunderstanding. So, he exined, ¡°But please don¡¯t misunderstand. Loid doesn¡¯t have any feelings for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that things are veryplicated in the Laurier family. It¡¯s hard to exin everything to you all at once. All you need to know is that Loid¡¯s just ying along on the


    surface.¡±


    Lily nodded. Then, she looked at Loid.


    He was surrounded by a bunch of people. He had an annoyed expression on his face but was still responding to them expressionlessly.

 Chapter 192

    <b>Chapter </b><b>192</b>


    Then, an old man walked down the stairs. He was holding a cane, and his steps were a little unsteady, but he still started walking <b>faster</b>.


    ¡°Is Loid back? Come quickly and let me look at you. I haven¡¯t seen you in months. I miss you so much.¡±


    The old man was Loid¡¯s grandfather, Arthur Laurier. He was <b>70 </b>years old. His face was full of wrinkles, and his head of hair was almostpletely ashen.


    He walked over to Loid and held his hand. Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. ¡°This is great. Your illness is finally cured. Finally, you¡¯ve recovered to your former appearance.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Hi<b>, </b>Grandpa,¡± Loid said softly.


    Lily could tell that Loid didn¡¯t sound annoyed when he was talking with Arthur. There was a hint of politeness and respect in his tone.


    Arthur was probably the only person in the family other than his parents he would treat with such respect.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring your fianc¨¦e home? Where is she? Let me take a look at her.¡±


    Arthur looked around the house. In the end, his gazended on Lily.


    Loid waved at Lily, and she walked over to them. Then, she greeted Arthur politely, ¡°Hi, Mr. Laurier Senior.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thisss sure is pretty. Loid, you¡¯re so lucky to marry such a prettydy.¡± Arthur was quite fond of Lily.


    The other members of the Laurier family exchanged nces in secret.


    Then, Nora sneered. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t celebrate too early. I heard that his fianc¨¦e is from the countryside. She¡¯s an ignoramus. She also often gets into fights and skips sses. Her grades are also horrendous. If a person like her bes a part of the family, she¡¯ll only bring shame to our family.¡±


    In truth, everyone in the family knew who Lily was when she walked in with Loid. They had already looked into her background before Loid even arrived in Bridgeport.


    The reason why no one talked to her a while before was because they were presenting a united front. None of them felt the need to speak to a country bumpkin. They didn¡¯t think they needed to show a nobody like her any respect.


    Besides, Joanne was present, too. They all knew Joanne was there to talk about a marriage between the two families again. That was why they wouldn¡¯t show Lily any kindness while Joanne was there.


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s from the countryside?¡± Arthur¡¯s expression turned sour when he heard what Nora said.


    Then, he said, ¡°My father was from the countryside, too. His hard workid the foundation for the Laurier family of today. What? Are you looking down on your grandfather as well?¡±


    ¡°I would never do that.¡± Nora was humbled publicly, so her expression was a little sullen. But she still didn¡¯t dare to express her dissatisfaction before Arthur.


    ¡°I was just saying that this woman¡¯s social standing is too insignificant. She¡¯s not good enough for Loid.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s great.¡± Arthur shot her a cold nce. ¡°She¡¯s Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e, not yours. It¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s happy with her. Why are youining?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before she could say anything else, Arthur waved at her dismissively. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Loid has juste home. I don¡¯t want to get angry and scare him away. Just take a seat, all <b>of </b>you.¡±


    The Lauriers quickly got seated, and Ynda went to sit next to Loid.


    All the chairs were soon taken up. Lily was the only one standing because there weren¡¯t any chairs left for her.


    The other members of the Laurier family pretended not to notice.


    Loid¡¯s expression darkened immediately. He was about to stand up when Lily suddenly walked over to Ynda and said nonchntly, ¡°Please move. You¡¯re in my seat.¡±


    Ynda couldn¡¯t believe that Lily would ask her to move with so many people watching, so she was stunned.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you deaf?¡±

 Chapter 193

    <b>Chapter </b>193


    Lily¡¯s hands were in her pockets. Her gaze was cold, and she had an annoyed expression on her face. She was in a very bad mood.


    People close to her would know that she was about to get very angry.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you ask me to move?¡± Ynda stood up slowly and looked at her angrily. ¡°You have no right to make demands here.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>she doesn¡¯t have that right, who does?¡± Loid stood up and walked over to face Ynda.


    He stared at her expressionlessly and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me if this is the Laurier Residence or the Albott Residence?¡±


    Ynda¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Loid, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Loid nced at her. Then, he turned around to hold Lily¡¯s hands.


    He said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯d better be mistaken because this household is not going to be under the Albott family¡¯s control anytime soon.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Ynda¡¯s and Joanne¡¯s faces stiffened simultaneously. Nora¡¯s expression was also quite sullen.


    Loid didn¡¯t pay them any mind. He pulled Lily over to a chair and sat down. He said gently, ¡°You can rx. You¡¯re the future daughter¨Cinw of the Laurier family and the mistress of my household.¡±


    Lily raised her head to look at Loid for a bit. Then, she withdrew her gaze and started to y with her phone emotionlessly.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The Lauriers were disgusted by her actions. Arthur was still present. How could she y with her phone like that? That was so disrespectful of her.


    Arthur wasn¡¯t offended at all. In fact, he had a bright smile on his face. He had heard Stefan talk about Lily before. He spoke very highly of her. Looking at her, Arthur confirmed


    that she was indeed one of a kind.


    At least, her free¨Cspirited and carefree nature was something no one in the Laurier family possessed.


    ¡°A while ago, Loid hosted a banquet in Lagersfield I wasn¡¯t able to attend because I was unwell. I¡¯ve decided to host another banquet in a couple of days.


    ¡°We can take the chance to announce to the world that Loid has been healed. We¡¯ll announce Lily¡¯s identity too, which should stop other people from trying to pursue Loid,¡± Arthur said slowly after he picked up the cup of tea poured out by the housekeeper and took a sip.


    Although he was old, his eyes were still very sharp. He could tell what everyone in the family was thinking with a nce.


    He quietly withdrew his gaze and began sipping on his tea slowly.


    ¡°Dad, I think we should consider our options more carefully,¡± Loid¡¯s uncle, Marvin Laurier, said as he leaned back on his chair. He had quite amanding presence.


    He added expressionlessly, ¡°We arranged a marriage for Loid before because of his illness. We just wanted him to have joy in his life.


    ¡°Now that he ispletely cured, there¡¯s no need to go through with that marriage anymore. Luckily, they¡¯re just engaged. It doesn¡¯t really change anything. We¡¯ll offer Lilypensation and put this engagement behind us.¡±


    Nora quickly chimed in, ¡°Marvin is right. Loid is the sessor that you personally named. His fianc¨¦e has to be an outstanding individual to be worthy of him. This woman is¡­¡±


    Nora looked at Lily and said mockingly, ¡°Her family background aside, her grades and history of starting fights are enough for us to deem her unworthy of bing the daughter -inw of our family.¡±


    Then, someone else added, ¡°I¡¯ve always been opposed to the idea of Loid finding her wife this way. Now that everyone knows his fianc¨¦e is a worthless country bumpkin, our reputation is already damaged.


    ¡°I think a marriage with the Albott family is the best option. We practically watched Ynda grow up and know her very well. An engagement between her and Loid is the best-


    case scenario.¡±


    Lily, who was ying with her phone, raised her head. Her eyes were narrowed. She looked at Loid and saw the anger on his face. He looked like he was about to explode at any moment.


    She frowned and put her phone back into her pocket. Then, she looked at Loid and said, ¡°It¡¯s too noisy here. Why don¡¯t we go outside for a walk?¡±


    Her voice was very loud and crisp. Everyone in the root heard what she said. They instantly stopped talking and nced at Lily in surprise.


    Lily ignored all of them as she stared at Loid.


    Loid¡¯s expression softened as he looked at her. He smiled warmly and said, ¡°Sure. Let me show you around the house.¡±


    Lily nodded. Then, she stood up with Loid.

 Chapter 194

    <b>Chapter </b><b>194</b>


    ? ?????


    1/1


    Before she turned around <b>to </b>leave, Lily looked at Arther and said, <b>¡°</b>Grandpa, <b>if </b>you want peace and quiet, <b>you </b>shouldn¡¯t meet with weirdos like <b>these</b><b>. </b><b>They </b>are <b>really </b><b>noisy</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Arthur burst intoughter. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take your advice and not meet with weirdos. You just got here. Have Loid <b>show </b>you around. Come back when it¡¯s time <b>to </b>eat.¡±


    Lily¡¯s words also caused Loid tough out loud. As expected, Lily¡¯s sharp tongue was enough to anger her enemies to death.


    Loid¡¯s uncles¡® and aunts¡® expressions turned sour when they heard what she said.


    Nora couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. She mmed the table and stood up. ¡°You bitch! Who are you calling weirdos? This is the Laurier Residence. Who do <b>you </b>think you are<b>? </b>How dare you talk to us like that?¡±


    Lily turned around and stuffed her hands into her pockets. She tilted her chin slightly and said impishly, ¡°I broke the limbs of thest person who asked me those questions<b>. </b><b>Do </b>you want to give that a try?¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Nora yelled angrily.


    Lily narrowed her eyes and was about to make a move when Loid suddenly squeezed her arm. She looked at him and saw that he was signaling her <b>to </b>calm down with his <b>eyes</b>.


    Lily growled, ¡°Damn it!¡±


    She lowered her head for a moment before looking up again. She looked at Nora coldly. Then she nced at the rest of the Lauriers.


    She said angrily, ¡°Someone from the countryside isn¡¯t good enough for the Laurier family? A person who starts fights and has bad grades isn¡¯t good enough for the Laurier family? So, is only someone from the Albott family good enough for you?¡±


    She walked over to Ynda and scrutinized her coldly. ¡°Has your pubic hair even started growing yet?¡±


    ¡°You! You¡¯re shameless! How could you say something so lecherous?¡± Ynda said angrily.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m shameless? You abandoned Loid when he was sick. Aren¡¯t you more shameless than me?¡± Lily asked expressionlessly.


    Ynda was at a loss for words. She lowered her head and bit her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t abandon Loid. I¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°You just didn¡¯t want to be a widow because he was about to die?¡± Lily¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You shameless bitch. How dare you try to take my man from me?¡±


    Lily seldom cursed at people, but she was very angry this time.


    She scanned the Lauriers and said, ¡°You guys are acting like you¡¯re better than everyone else just because you can y the piano a little, speak some foreignnguages, and recite some poems?


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re good enough to judge me? I should be the one judging you losers!¡±


    Loid¡¯s lips twitched when he heard Lily cuss. That wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    If she was cussing, it meant that she was furious. It would be hard to appease her.


    He even felt like she would¡¯ve broken Nora¡¯s and Ynda¡¯s limbs if he didn¡¯t hold her back a moment ago.


    He had no idea where she learned that particr skill. She would break people¡¯s limbs if they annoyed her.


    The Laurier looked at her angrily. None of them wanted to cuss because of their manners. So, they could only fume silently.


    Lily grabbed Loid¡¯s tie and pulled him toward her. ¡°This man is mine. If anyone dares to whine about it again, I¡¯ll ensure they are bedridden for a few weeks.¡±

 Chapter 195

    <b>Chapter </b><b>195</b>


    After she said that, Lily dragged Loid out of the house by his cor and left the room full of angry Lauriers<b>.</b>


    Her head was lowered sullenly as they were walking away. Loid, who was following her, couldn¡¯t hold his smile back anymore.


    He liked it when Lily said he was her man<b>. </b>He even started to think he should rile her up more so she would say things like that more.


    Lily shoved him into the car and sat on him. She bit his lip until he winced. Then, she asked expressionlessly<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>that woman a childhood friend of yours?<b>¡±</b>


    ¡°No. She¡¯s just delusional.¡± Loid licked his lips, savoring Lily¡¯s lingering sweetness.


    ¡°You want a new woman?¡± Lily asked as she tilted his chin with her finger and raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    The joy in Loid¡¯s eyes only grew more obvious. He loved it when she was being so domineering.


    ¡°That¡¯d better be the case!¡±


    Lily got up and was about to leave, but Loid suddenly pulled her toward him. She lost her bnce and fell back into his embrace.


    He leaned in next to her ear and whispered while panting, ¡°You¡¯re walking away after you got me riled up?¡±


    Her lips were sealed by his before she could say anything.


    The atmosphere quickly got steamy.


    Suddenly, the door opened.


    ¡°Loid, Mr. Laurier Senior has fainted¡­ Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to intrude.¡±


    Before Daniel could finish what he was saying, he noticed what was going on in the car. So, he frantically closed the door.


    He knew he was in a lot of trouble. He would never expect them to do something like that in the car right after they offended the entire Laurier family.


    He would probably be in for a rough punishment for ruining Loid¡¯s fun.


    Lily got up awkwardly and adjusted her clothes. She pulled her cap down lower so Daniel couldn¡¯t see her bright red cheeks.


    Loid sat up and buttoned his suit. He looked at Daniel expressionlessly.


    Daniel felt a chill down his spine as he looked at Loid with a pitiable expression.


    Loid opened the car door and got out. He held Lily¡¯s hand in one fluid motion. Then, he coldly told Daniel, ¡°Call Neil and ask him where he is. Tell him to get here as soon as possible.¡±


    He expected something to happen that day. So, he wasn¡¯t that worried.


    He entered the vi with Lily once again.


    Nora rushed over and pointed at Lily, yelling, ¡°Why did youe back? Dad passed out because you agitated him so much. You¡¯re a jinx! You¡¯ve made Dad so miserable, and you¡¯re not even part of the family yet. I can only imagine the damage you will do when you are married to Loid.¡±


    Marvin also barked, ¡°Loid, you see that, right? This woman will only bring misfortune. Dad fainted right after she got here. She¡¯ll bring the Laurier family down if given enough time.¡±


    Loid lowered his head and unbuttoned his cor. A glint shed in his eyes as he said solemnly, ¡°Are you going to me me for not preparing your coffins in advance when you die, too?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Margin pointed at Loid and yelled, ¡°How could you say that? Your grandpa has fainted. Not only are you not rushing over to help him, but you¡¯re also saying such horrible things to me. Dad treats you so well, and this is how you repay him?¡±


    ¡°What are you all doing here when Grandpa has fainted? At least I called a doctor over. The rest of you have only been calling my fianc¨¦e a jinx.


    ¡°Uncle Marvin and Aunt Nora, you two have been making things difficult for me since I came back. Do you think you¡¯re the head of the family because I¡¯ve been gone for a few months?¡± Loid said as he nced at the others in the room coldly.


    He exuded a verymanding presence when he said that. He was like a merciless demon that sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Nora and Marvin both took a couple of steps back. They didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eye.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Noraposed herself and sneered. ¡°How can you say that? We¡¯re doing this with your best interests at heart. Besides, Dad has just fainted. We only said those things because we were panicking.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Loid stuffed his hands into his pockets and said in a low voice, ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor you called over?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nora paused for a moment. ¡°We were overwhelmed by worry and forgot to do that.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Loid nced at her. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you forgot to call a doctor. But please don¡¯t forget to bring your belongings on the way out.¡±


    He looked at Daniel and said coldly, ¡°Escort them out.¡±


    ¡°What is the meaning of this? Dad just fainted. How can we leave now? We need to at least know why he passed out!¡± Nora¡¯s expression changed immediately.


    At that moment, the maids brought Neil into the house. He greeted Loid and went straight to measure Arthur¡¯s pulse.


    Daniel was about to ask the rest of the Lauriers to leave, but Nora walked right over to Neil¡¯s side and asked, ¡°How¡¯s my father doing?¡±


    Neil finished checking Arthur¡¯s pulse. He nced at her but didn¡¯t respond to her question. Then, he said to Loid, ¡°Mr. Laurier Senior has been poisoned.¡±


    His expression was solemn. ¡°It¡¯s the same poison you were poisoned with.¡±


    Loid was stunned. He quickly walked over to Arthur. His expression was frigid.


    He knew someone would probably make a move on Arthur, but he didn¡¯t expect the culprit to use Bloodbane poison.


    The Lauriers were horrified. ¡°How could this be? Why would that kind of poison show up here?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Loid was poisoned with that before, and he almost died because of it. What should we do? We¡¯ll be thrust into a very difficult situation if anything happens to Dad.¡±


    Arthur was old, but he was still very influential in Bridgeport. The most prominent families in the city have been at war in the past few years. If not for Arthur, the Laurier family would¡¯ve been assimted by some other family.


    Loid nced at the faces of everyone in the room. Most of them looked normal as if they didn¡¯t know Arthur would be poisoned. Nora and Marvin were the only exceptions.


    ¡°Loid, you have to save your grandpa. Our family will be ruined if anything happens to him,¡± Nora said as she grabbed Loid¡¯s sleeve anxiously.


    Loid stared at her coldly without saying a word.


    Neil looked at Loid and understood what he wanted. ¡°Mr. Laurier Senior¡¯s condition is even more serious than yours back then. I¡¯m not too sure if I can cure him.¡±


    Nora said anxiously, ¡°Loid, weren¡¯t you cured by a miracle doctor? Go get that doctor to help your grandpa.¡±


    Loid smiled when he heard that, but the smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Neil said? He said he isn¡¯t sure if he can cure Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°How can his skill beparable to that of a miracle doctor? The only option left is to get the miracle doctor who cured you. Please, you have to do it.¡±


    ¡°I was the one who cured Loid.¡± Neil looked at Nora coldly. ¡°I researched for six months and came up with an acupuncture method and an antidote. It took me one whole month topletely cure Loid. Mr. Laurier Senior¡¯s poison acted up almost immediately. There is nothing I can do for him.¡±


    ¡°You cured Loid? How is that possible?¡± Nora said as her eyes widened in shock.


    Then, she nced at Marvin, who shifted his gaze to look at Lily. Both of them were dumbfounded.


    <i>¡°</i><i>Of </i>course, it was me. Who else could it have been? We ced an order with Alchos multiple times to get Shadowbane to help. They never epted the order. I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands,¡± Neil said coldly.

 Chapter 197

    <b>Chapter </b>197


    Nora and Marvin had weird expressions on their faces. Both of them fell silent.


    After a while, Nora said, ¡°Since you can cure the Bloodbane poison, hurry up and cure my father, Neil.¡±


    Suddenly, Loid narrowed his eyes and stared at Nora. ¡°Aunt Nora, how do you know the name of the poison?¡±


    ¡°You were poisoned with the same thing, weren¡¯t you? Of course I know what it¡¯s called.¡± Nora looked a little annoyed.


    ¡°I never told anyone what the poison is called,¡± Loid said coldly.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nora¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°I heard about it from someone else. You¡¯re the sessor of the Laurier family. I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to you. So, I went to look for an antidote in secret. That¡¯s why I know the name of this poison. I also found out that it is hard to cure.¡±


    Loid sneered coldly. ¡°Thanks for worrying about me, Aunt Nora.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my nephew. It¡¯s only natural for me to worry about you.¡± Nora looked away from Loid. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that for now. You have to think of a way to save your grandpa. Nothing can happen to him.¡±


    Loid nced at Nora. ¡°That¡¯s right. Nothing can happen to Grandpa. So, you should think of a way to save him, Aunt Nora.¡±


    ¡°How would I know how to save him? I can¡¯t cure poisons,¡± Nora said anxiously.


    ¡°What a coincidence. I can¡¯t cure poisons too,¡± Loid said nonchntly. But he had aplicated look on his face when he looked at Arthur.


    Lily stood behind Loid as he was talking with Nora. Her expression slowly darkened.


    After a while, she put her hands into her pockets, walked over to the couch, and sat down. When she walked past Neil, she bumped into him and asked impishly, ¡°Hey, will you be able to save him?¡±


    Neil looked at her and pondered for a while. Then, he said, ¡°I can try.¡±


    Loid frowned. It was like he was telling Lily to stay put.


    Lily ignored the message he was trying to send with his eyes. Then, she said to Neil, ¡°Hurry up, then. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Neil turned to look at Loid and said, ¡°Loid, bring Mr. Laurier Senior back to his room first. There are some pills left from when I cured you. I¡¯ll give them to him first. I¡¯ll perform acupuncture on himter and see if it works.¡±


    Loid understood what he meant when he mentioned pills. He nced at Lily discreetly for a while before looking away. Then, he said calmly, ¡°Sure.¡±


    He looked at Daniel, who immediately understood what to do. He went up and helped Neil bring Arthur back to his room.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Nora and Marvin exchanged nces before looking at Lily one more time. They didn¡¯t say anything as they went to sit down in a corner.


    Loid led Lily to a couch and sat down. He had an inherentlymanding presence, so no one dared to speak with him.


    <b>For </b>a moment, there wasplete silence in the vi. Then, a noise rang out. Everyone looked toward the noise and saw that Lily was ying a game on her phone. It was a little loud, and everyone in the vi could hear it.


    Lily¡¯s actions angered Nora. She mmed her hand on the table and stood up. ¡°You bitch! Dad¡¯s life is hanging by a thread. Not only are you not concerned at all, but you also have the audacity to be ying a game? How can you be so rude?¡±


    Lily raised her head to look at Lily while her hands continued to y the game. Before she could say anything, Loid said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e, Aunt Nora. If you¡¯re saying she¡¯s rude, does that mean I¡¯m rude, too?¡±


    Nora wanted to yell at Loid, but she swallowed those words when she turned and met his chilling gaze.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I just think she¡¯s being rude because she¡¯s ying games on her phone while everyone else is worried about Dad.¡± ¡°What about you? Grandpa fainted, but you didn¡¯t help him. Instead, you took the time toe and argue with me. Wasn¡¯t that rude of you?¡±

 Chapter 198

    <b>Chapter </b><b>198</b>


    Loid put one of his hands <b>on </b>the couch. He held Lily¡¯s hand with his other hand and looked at the game on her phone. He pointed to a spot on the screen. Lily dropped a block there and eliminated a row of blocks<b>.</b>


    Nora started breathing heavily in anger when she saw that. She red at Lily before looking away.


    She looked at Loid as she tried her best <b>to </b>suppress her anger. ¡°I was just too worried about Dad.¡±


    1/1


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t call Neil over just now, Grandpa would have died from the poison because you were wasting time by arguing with me.¡±


    Loid red at Nora and said coldly, ¡°If that had happened, You wouldn¡¯t have the chance to lecture my fianc¨¦e now.¡±


    Nora¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°<b>I</b><b>¡­ </b>I¡­¡±


    Loid noticed the anxiety in her eyes. He shot her a cold nce before withdrawing his gaze.


    Everyone else in the living room witnessed what happened between Loid and Nora, but they chose to remain silent.


    Loid looked calm, but everyone knew he was very vicious when he lost his temper.


    If that happened, losing their rights to the Laurier family¡¯s assets wouldn¡¯t even be their biggest problem. They could even lose their lives.


    They had tested his patience when he returned. So, they stayed put at that moment. No one dared to challenge him anymore.


    Lily looked at the silent Lauriers in the living room. She smiled impishly and said, ¡°Impressive, Mr. Laurier.¡±


    Loid¡¯s expression immediately softened when she said that. He patted her head gently and gave her a warm smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re more impressive than me, Ms. Brooks. I¡¯ll still be under your care.¡±


    Lily patted him on the shoulder grandly. ¡°No problem!¡±


    Loid was a little speechless. He was just joking.


    Lilypleted a level of the game she was ying and lost the mood to y. So, she put away her phone. Then, she leaned on Loid¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes to rest.


    The trip to Bridgeport had tired her out.


    Loid noticed the fatigue on her face and felt bad for her. He pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°Take a nap if you¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll wake you upter.¡±


    Lily nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Ynda, who was sitting a short distance from them, clenched her fists when she saw that. The jealousy in her eyes was overflowing.


    Lily sensed that someone was ring at her from behind. She turned around and saw Ynda¡¯s venomous gaze. She raised an eyebrow, turned around, and continued napping.


    Neil came out of Arthur¡¯s room after 20 minutes. His forehead was filled with sweat, and he looked very weak.


    The Lauriers quickly went up to him. ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Laurier Senior doing?¡±


    Neil ignored all of them and walked straight to Loid. ¡°Mr. Laurier Senior is safe now. But fighting the poison took a lot out of him. He¡¯ll need to rest for a long time to recover.¡±


    The Lauriers sighed in relief.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <b>Nora </b>looked at Arthur¡¯s room and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look at Dad.¡±


    Neil stopped her before she could enter the room. ¡°Mr. Laurier Senior said he wants to rest. He asked all <b>of </b>you to go home.¡±


    ¡°What is the meaning of this? That¡¯s my dad in there, I can¡¯t leave without making sure he is okay.¡± Nora was a little agitated.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to make sure Dad is fine with our own eyes,¡± Marvin agreed.

 Chapter 199

    <b>Chapter </b>199


    Neil looked at Loid for further instructions.


    Loid nodded. Then, Neil said, ¡°You can go in and take a quick look. Mr. Laurier Senior is very weak now. He must not be disturbed while he¡¯s resting.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The Lauriers flocked into the room after he said that.


    When no one was around, Neil said softly, ¡°Ms. Brooks, I did as you said. I sealed Mr. Laurier Senior¡¯s blood flow with the needles. He is awake now, but the poison is <b>still </b>spreading in his body.


    ¡°We might be able to fool them for a while, but what will we do when the jig is up?¡±


    When Lily bumped into him just now, she handed him a pill discreetly. He immediately understood what he needed to do.


    Then<b>, </b>when he entered the room, Lily sent him a text telling him to seal Arthur¡¯s pressure points with the silver needles.


    He had been doing all he could to learn about a human¡¯s body structure and pressure points in order to study medicine under Lily.


    Luckily, he could pull off the things Lily told him to do. He has observed Lily performing acupuncture before. It wasn¡¯t too hard.


    ¡°Grandpa Arthur is fine. He¡¯s not inflicted with the Bloodbane poison.¡± Lily leaned on Loid¡¯s chestzily. She was a little fatigued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Bloodbane poison? But his symptoms are the same as Loid¡¯s.¡± Neil was shocked.


    ¡°The symptoms might be the same, but the poison is still different. He is poisoned with something that¡¯s very simr to the Bloodbane poison. It is very fast¨Cacting and easily mistaken as the Bloodbane poison.


    ¡°In reality, the victim will be fine when the poison is ejected from their system. It¡¯s just that Grandpa Arthur is quite old. It¡¯ll be hard to remove the poison from his bodypletely. Go cook up a bowl of herbal medicine for him after they leave.¡±


    Neil was still a little confused. ¡°But why would they go through the trouble of getting a poison that¡¯s simr to the Bloodbane poison? Is it to ensure you¡¯re the miracle doctor Loid talked about?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Other than that, they also want to test if I can differentiate the two poisons,¡± Lily said calmly.


    When the poison was in effect, Lily could tell that someone in the Laurier family figured out that she had a hand in curing Loid. They wanted to force her to save Arthur.


    They didn¡¯t use the Bloodbane poison. One reason was that they wanted to test her medical skills. The other reason was because they didn¡¯t dare to risk it.


    Although the Laurier family was the most powerful of the Four Great Families of Bridgeport, they were still not in the clear.


    The inner conflicts of the family had persisted for a long time. Everyone was unhappy that Loid was named the sessor, but no one dared to do anything to Arthur.


    Because if anything happened to Arthur, the Laurier family would lose their title as the most powerful family. Other families could even destroy them.


    That was why no one would poison Arthur with the Bloodbane poison.


    ¡°How could you tell?¡± Loid was surprised. She had only been there for two hours but was able to analyze the situation of the Laurier family very clearly.


    ¡°With my eyes,¡± Lily said calmly.


    Both Loid and Neil were at a loss for words.


    Neil gave Lily a thumbs up in secret. She was still very young but possessed extraordinary critical thinking abilities. She was able to identify the underlying issues immediately.


    ¡°But the poison is still spreading. Will a bowl of herbal medicine really cure him?¡± Neil was still worried.


    <b>¡°</b>It won¡¯t!<b>¡± </b>Lily was a little tired of sitting. She stretched and stood up. Then, she looked at the bedroom with a glum expression.


    ¡°Then, what should we do? We can¡¯t let anything happen to Mr. Laurier Senior,¡± Neil said anxiously.


    Lily pursed her lips. Then, she said with a grave expression, ¡°Acupuncture treatment is also required. He needs five days of treatment. Even if the poison is cured, the energy he lost from it won¡¯t recover. It¡¯ll be equivalent to losing five years of his life.¡±


    Loid¡¯s expression darkened when he heard that. A glint appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°Those people have crossed the line. Mr. Laurier Senior is so old now. How many more five years does he have? How could they do this to him for their own gain?¡± Neil said angrily.


    Lily looked at Loid¡¯s sullen expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll recover. But you have to get the Laurier family under control. Grandpa Arthur can¡¯t take another round of an ordeal like this.¡±


    Loid nodded. Then, he pulled her into his embrace and ced his chin on her shoulder without saying anything. Lily just stood there without interrupting him.

 Chapter 200

    <b>Chapter </b>200


    Neil looked at Loid without saying anything. He sat next to them quietly.


    After a while, the Lauriers came out of Arthur¡¯s bedroom. They returned to their homes when they saw that Arthur was fine.


    They only greeted Loid as they were leaving. No one talked to Lily.


    Loid only brought Lily to Arthur¡¯s bedroom after all of them were gone.


    Neil went to buy the herbs for the herbal medicine for Arthur based on Lily¡¯s prescription.


    Arthur sat up in bed when Loid and Lily entered the room. He waved toward Lily with a kind smile. ¡°Come here, youngdy.¡±


    Lily frowned and paused for a moment before walking to Arthur¡¯s bedside.


    He held her hand and patted it gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you must experience all that on your first day here.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m fine,¡± Lily said calmly.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I had prepared a banquet to wee the two of you home. By the looks of it, we won¡¯t be able to have it now.¡±


    Arthur looked at Loid and said, ¡°Loid, take Lily out for some food. Tomorrow, when I¡¯m better, we¡¯ll book a restaurant and have a meal with the whole family.¡± ¡°Okay.<b>¡± </b>Loid dropped his forceful demeanor when he was with Arthur. Even his tone became gentler.


    After chatting with Arthur for a while, Loid took Lily out to get some food while Neil stayed to care for Arthur.


    When they got to the door, Lily¡¯s phone rang. Her eyes shed subtly when she saw the caller ID. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Let me take this call.¡±


    She took her phone and walked away after she said that.


    Loid¡¯s gaze grew sharp as he watched her walk away. He only caught a nce of her phone and saw that the Caller ID was ¡°D¡°.


    She had a weird way ofbeling her contacts. Some would receive a codename, and others were left nk.


    He knew that Lily had two phones. One had all the contact information of her ssmates and friends, but no one was noteworthy.


    The other phone had weirdbels for the contacts. It was pretty mysterious. They seemed to be more important to her.


    His number was saved on the phone with her friends and ssmates.


    He even noticed that Poppy¡¯s and Bobby¡¯s numbers were saved in the phone with the important contacts.


    Was he not an important person to her?


    <b>For </b>some reason,


    he felt a pain in his chest when he thought about that.


    Meanwhile, Lily had walked quite far away. She only stopped when Loid and Daniel were out of sight.


    She turned on the voice changer and picked up the call. ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°K, help me!¡± a man yelled from the other end of the line. He was panting a little. It seemed like he was running.


    Lily frowned and took out her other phone. She turned it into a mini <bputer </b>and

 Chapter 201

    ?Chapter 201


    Leaning against the wall by the street, Lily stared at theptop on her bent knees.


    She looked up and remarked absentmindedly, "Did you think it was difficult for me?"


    "Well, it''s easy for you to find out I''m in Bridgeport. I just find it odd you''d be in the mood to track me down." The man suddenly grew interested. "Are you doing this out of guilt?"


    cing theptop on the ground, Lily slipped a hand into her pocket. "Sounds like you can hide from them on your own. Good luck, then."


    "Hey, don''t!" The man immediately begged for mercy, "Dude, I was wrong. Please help me throw off the guys after me. Some of them must be genius hackers. They can find me no matter where I hide. I''ll get arrested if you don''t help me."


    On the other end of the line was a man in a cap and a pair of sunsses. d in a ck jacket, he seemed well concealed. However, those who were familiar with him could tell from a glimpse that he was Venom of Alchos'' Elite Four.


    Venom hid in a corner of the wall and quickly nced behind him. He cussed when he saw someone catching up to him. "Fuck! They''re closing in."


    He turned around and sneaked out of a side alley while grumbling, "I would''ve fired at them, but I don''t want to cause a stir in Bridgeport."


    Meanwhile, Lily crouched and ced her phone on the ground. Putting Venom on speaker, she swiftly typed across the keyboard. Lines of code shed across the screen.


    "There''s a turn at ten o''clock. Go in.


    "At your one o''clock, jump into the courtyard. There''s ake in there. You gotta figure out how to get across it.


    "Go straight through the woods. Take a right turn and keep going straight."


    Lily, looking emotionless, popped an instruction after another in a frigid tone.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Venom followed her directions and moved fast. Soon, he came to a stop at thest destination. Bewildered, he gasped. "Alchos? Why did you get me here? I''m not nning to return this soon!"


    "That''s the safest ce for now." Closing herptop, Lily informed him, "I''ve edited your coordinates. No one can track you down now."


    Letting out a relieved sigh, he relented. "Fine. Guess I have no choice but to seek refuge at Alchos for now. Thanks, bro."


    Lily always used the voice changer when she answered calls and spoke in a weathered male voice. As a result, everyone at Alchos thought she was a man.


    Grunting, she was about to hang up, but she paused and asked him, "Do you know who''sing after you?"


    "Who else can it be? They must be those bastards working for Camelot. They were always working hard to get me in turf wars at Emerald Delta.


    "I decided toe back and run some errands since they had been lying low for half a year. I didn''t fucking expect them to get the news right as I touched down at Bridgeport."


    Once Venom was safe, he was no longer in a great hurry to escape. Lighting a cigarette, he puffed and relished in the relief of the aftershock. "Camelot?" Frowning, Lily did not think it was Loid. Furrowing her brows, she asked, "So, who else have you crossed?"


    "Many." He gave it some serious thought and admitted, "I angered Camelot real bad. Last year, I bombed his base. I never thought he''d be so petty to send his men after me for a year."


    Rubbing her head, Lily felt a headache rising. "And what''s the grudge between you and Loid Laurier?"


    "Loid Laurier? Never heard of him. Don''t know him." Venom stubbed the cigarette. "I don''t retain memories of strangers. Why bring him up, though?" "Nothing." Lily rose and dusted her outfit. "I''m hanging up now."


    After the call, she mulled over the situation. "Loid likely didn''t vite any rules on Venom''s turf. It''s probably just a minor grudge," she thought. Momentster, she frowned again. How deeply should she get involved if Venom really ended up on Loid''s bad side?


    Putting away her phone in irritation, she lowered her cap and walked toward Loid. "Let''s go."


    He shot her a side nce. Holding her hand, he quietly asked, "Are you busy?"


    "It''s resolved." She looked up at him with dull eyes. He nodded and said nothing else.

 Chapter 202

    ?Chapter 202


    Halfway through their journey, they crossed paths with a luxury car ferrying Nora, Joanne, and their family members.


    Nora strutted over to the two with a smile. "Sorry, I was too focused on your grandpa just now to look after you. You haven''t eaten, have you? I''ll treat both of you to a meal."


    Snickering, Loid said, "Thank you, Aunt Nora."


    Lily tilted her head and cast him a look, but she ultimately looked away without a word.


    Half an hourter, they reached La Caprese, a fine dining restaurant downtown. It was the best establishment in all of Bridgeport with a member-only system.


    The membership was tier-based¡ªordinary members were restricted to dining on the second floor; first-tier members were allowed into the third floor¡­ So on and so forth.


    The highest membership tier was the premier diamond, which came with the privilege of enjoying dinner at the top-floor private lounge. However, it came with a price tag too hefty for ordinary members.


    From the restaurant''s conception, there had only been two holders of the premier diamond membership. Even Nora was merely a diamond-tier member.


    Loid and Lily had just gotten out of the car when his phone rang. He nced at the caller ID before frowning. A pauseter, he said to Lily, "Go in with them first. I''ll take a call."


    "Sure," replied Lily, who followed behind Nora and others.


    Nora, upon noticing Loid''s absence, asked, "Where''s Loid?"


    "He''s taking a call," Lily drawled.


    Nora''s eyes wavered. With a smile, she said to Lily, "Alright. Follow us closely."


    Lily nodded silently.


    However, Nora started to speed up. Joanna and the rest followed after realizing Nora''s motive.


    Lily had always walked slowly. Besides, she wasn''t paying attention to the directions as she was emotionally affected by Venom''s situation.


    When she looked up again, she noticed that Nora and the rest had entered the restaurant. She tried to enter, only to be stopped by security. "Miss, please show your membership card!"


    "I''m with the group that went in just now." Sounding impatient, she ced her hands in her pockets and kept her cap low.


    "Please call them to pick you up," the security guard politely addressed her.


    Lily looked afar. After Nora and the group entered the restaurant, they deliberately slowed down. A few of them even turned their heads around to check on her situation.


    Smirking, she stared at the guard. "It''s fine, then. I''ll leave."


    With that, she turned around and left.


    Seeing that, Nora hurried out of the restaurant and grabbed her by the arm. Nora hissed, "Why are you leaving?"


    Lily turned around and exined, "I was stopped by security."


    "Didn''t I tell you to follow us closely?" chided Nora. "You need a membership to enter the restaurant. You fell behind, and you don''t have a membership. Of course, they wouldn''t let you in!"


    Nora seemed upset. She had nned to give Lily trouble, but she did not expect Lily to leave instead of arguing with the security.


    "I''ll give you my membership card. You can head in first," Nora offered.


    Lily nced at Nora''s card with amusement. She revealed, "I have a card, though."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 203

    ?Chapter 203


    Nora chuckled at Lily''s statement. She questioned, "Are you using your membership card for ess? Think carefully. An ordinary member is only allowed to dine in the hall on the second floor. Are you sure you want to have dinner alone?"


    Then, Nora smirked. "You shoulde with me. You''re representing the Lauriers in public. Don''t bring shame to Loid."


    Ynda sneered, "I don''t understand why Lo would want to get engaged to a poor country bumpkin like you. What are you good at, and what can you bring to the table for Lo?


    "Your presence at the restaurant signifies your social status. Using an ordinary membership card is not only embarrassing, but it''ll even drag Lo to your level as well. I haven''t seen anyone who behaves like you before."


    The contempt and derision in her eyes were obvious.


    Lily casually nced at Ynda before saying tly, "How special is your diamond-tier membership, then, if you consider an ordinary membership embarrassing?"


    "You¡ª" Ynda growled out the words, "At least a diamond-tier member can enjoy dinner in a private lounge while you can only have dinner at the hall on the second floor."


    At that moment, Loid had wrapped up his call. When he approached Lily, he noticed the scowl on Ynda''s face. Eyes narrowed, he asked Ynd softly, "What''s wrong?"


    Nora quickly exined, "Nothing. We walked too fast and left Lily behind. I wanted to let her in with my membership card, but she insisted on using her ordinary membership card. I''m talking some sense into her."


    She insinuated about Lily''sck of manners.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Aunt Nora, since you forgot about Lily, you don''t have to get her in. We''ll sh our membership cards." Loid lowered his gaze onto Lily''s expressionless face. His frigid voice sliced through the air like ice shards.


    Nora''s expression fell. "That won''t work. I promised to treat you to dinner."


    Before Loid could protest, Nora handed her membership card to the security guard. "They''re with me."


    The guard nced at the card to ensure it was valid before gesturing at Loid and Lily. "Please."


    Nora warmly grasped Lily''s hand. "Let''s head in. I''ll stick closely to you so that you don''t fall behind."


    Lily looked at Nora with a smirk. Then, she withdrew her hand. "I don''t need your help to ess the restaurant."


    After that, she fumbled around her ck clutch and pulled out a ck card, which she handed to the security guard. "Can I use this card?"


    "The premier diamond tier membership!" Gasping, the security guard nearly dropped the card in shock. He shot an apologetic look at Lily. "Pardon me. It was my mistake. Please enjoy your dinner on the top floor."


    Loid''s eyes wavered in shock when he set sight on the card. He pursed his lips. Lily had an array of unique and bizarre items in her often messy purse, but he never thought she''d be in possession of such a rare item.


    He appeared to have underestimated her. She owned some life-saving pills, a limited-edition global ck card, and the premier diamond tier membership of La Caprese. What other secrets was she hiding from him?


    Nora, Ynda, and the rest gaped at Lily in disbelief as they struggled to speak. Nora felt humiliated for havingughed at Lily''s "ordinary membership" and waster proven wrong when Lily revealed her premier diamond membership.


    Lily spun around and marched up to Nora with an amused expression. "Shall I invite you to dine at the top floor?"


    At a loss for words, Nora could only muster an awkward smile.

 Chapter 204

    ?Chapter 204


    Visibly cheered, Loid took Lily''s hand. He stared at Nora and invited her tly, "Aunt Nora, join us. It''s not often that our petty little girl here is generous."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I-It''s fine." Nora fought to maintain her smile. "I said I''d treat you to dinner."


    "The private lounge for diamond-tier members is not asfortable as the one for premier diamond-tier members, right?" Then, Loid leisurely led Lily farther into the restaurant, leaving behind Nora and the others who looked dismayed.


    Ynda nearly died of jealousy when she witnessed Loid and Lily being intimate and holding hands. Pressing her lips together, she snapped, "Hmph! She''d better not get ahead of herself. That must be Lo''s card that she used to show off.


    "How could the restaurant grant a country bumpkin the premier diamond membership?"


    Gulping hard, Nora nced at Ynda. "Lo doesn''t have La Caprese''s membership. The owner had wanted to gift him a premier diamond membership, but he turned it down."


    Ynda looked wild in disbelief. "What? So, where did Lily get the card from?"


    Nora replied glumly, "It''s hers."


    They had wrongly assumed Lily to be a country bumpkin. As a premier diamond member, Lily was a VIP guest of La Caprese.


    Although La Caprese''s standing was iparable to that of a four-star hotel, itspetent owner recorded tens of millions in sales per day by serving up excellent menu items. Many who were envious of La Caprese had made generous offers to acquire it, but none had seeded in doing so.


    Some troublemakers had attempted to stir trouble at La Caprese in the past, yet the owner always breezily settled it. That established La Caprese as a legend in the hospitality industry.


    Not even the wealthy could buy a premier diamond membership at La Caprese as the owner would decide on the recipients of the card. So far, only two individuals in the world held the coveted membership.


    Once, Nora had attempted to get herself the premier diamond membership by borrowing the Albott family''s fame, but the restaurant turned down her request. When she threatened them with her influence, she was nearly cklisted and had to make use of her connections to resolve the situation.


    Therefore, she had no doubt that Lily owned the membership card.


    Nora felt frustrated. She had intended to put Lily in a difficult spot and show Lily the huge difference in their social status so that Lily would back out of the rtionship. Never had she expected to be put in her ce by Lily.


    The humiliation stung.


    Despite looking flustered, Ynda insisted, "Who knows if she didn''t pick up the card from somewhere? Even if she owns the card, she stilles from a humble background. She doesn''t deserve Lo."


    Nora shot a look at Ynda and quietly shook her head. Then, she followed Lily and Loid to the top floor. Seeing that, Ynda, Joanne, and the rest followed suit without a word.


    The top floor, the most luxurious space in the entire restaurant and mind-blowingly spacious, came with a private kitchen. The chefs were ready to serve, whether or not there were customers.


    Rumor had it that none of the premier diamond members had ever patronized the top-floor lounge. Besides the dining area, the top floor offered a break corner, where one could take a shower and enjoy a massage. What a one-stop service!


    Nora was green in envy but hid it well.


    The waiter offered them the menus. Lily made the waiter pass the menus to Nora, Ynda, and the others. "You''re the guests. Please make you pick."


    With that, Lily asserted her position as the host, making Nora feel uneasy.


    Irked, Ynda tossed the menu back onto the table. "Aren''t you treating us to dinner? Why don''t you order instead? Or are you clueless because you''ve never dined at a fine dining establishment?"


    ncing at Ynda with a roguish smile, Lily announced, "Fine. I''ll do it."

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    Lily epted the menu and perused it for a while before putting it down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have the caviar and fole gras as hors d¡¯oeuvre. For the soup, please serve us the cream consomm¨¦. As for the appetizer..¡± Lily rattled off the names leisurely and went into the details of the dish preparation, including the year of the wine


    When she spoke, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Even Ynda was rendered dumbstruck. All she intended was to humte Lily in front of Loid, only to give Lily anotherchance to shine.


    What was going on? Ynda thought, ¡°How could a country bumpkin like Lily Brooks have such vast knowledge? I bet her outfit doesn¡¯t cost more than ten dors. So, why does she feel at ease in this fine dining restaurant?¡±


    Meanwhile, Loid could not hold back a smile as he watched Lily. Finally, he let out a chuckle, which further embarrassed Ynda.


    After the water left, Lily leaned into her chair and cast a rxed nce at Vnda. ¡°Please put in an order for anything you¡¯d like. After dinner, you may take a bath or enjoy a massage. You might not know this, but the services are free for premier diamond members. So, Thope everyone feels at home here.¡±


    Lily made thedies blush in embarrassment with her statement.


    Nora and the others sarthrough the dinner in frustration, but Lily and Loid seemed at ease. They interacted with each other as though they were alone, ignoring the asional nces that their guests threw at them.


    Joanne, who was sitting across from Lily, stole a nce at Lily with a glint in her eyes


    After dinner, Nora and the group immediately lett as they were too humiliated to stay any longer.


    However, Lily and Loid weren¡¯t in a hurry to head home. Shaun had called Loid, asking him to wait at La Caprese as he had something to discuss.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Soon after, the restaurant¡¯s security led Shaun to the top floor Shaun scanned the environment and gasped. ¡°Wow, Mr. Laurier! What brings you to dine on the top floor conight? thought you had been neglecting your premier diamond membership.¡±


    Hearing that, Lily arched her brow in amusement. She teased Loid, ¡°Yeah, Mr. Laurier. You¡¯ve been hiding your secret quite well, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Loid cleared his throat. ¡°I never nned on visiting the restaurant. That¡¯s why I turned down the membership. I have a long way to go before I catch up to you, Reese.¡±


    -Sming, she replied, ¡°Now you¡¯re being mode


    Loid offered her a ss of water. ¡°I need to be modest when I¡¯m around you.¡±


    Shaun btedly pieced the puzzle. ¡°Lily, do you have a premier diamond membership too?¡±


    Taking a sip of water, she replied, ¡°It was a gift.¡±


    Shaun gave her a thumbs¨Cup. ¡°You¡¯re awesome!¡±


    Lily must have been an important figure for the owner of La Caprese to gift her with a premier diamond membership. It was Loid¡¯s luck to run into such an amazing fianc¨¦e. Shaun couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated How be wished he could have a fianc¨¦e like Lily too.


    Loid nced at Shaun. Then, he asked casually, ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?


    Shaun, reminded of his purpose of visit, sipped on some water and tuned, ¡°Venom slid through our fingers again!¡±

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    ¡°What happened?¡±Loid furrowed his brows. He looked troubled.


    ¡°We were so close to getting him, but a genius hacker removed his coordinates. Our men were no match for that hacker¡¯s skis. And that¡¯s how Venom got away.¡± Shaun looked remorseful and indignant. ¡°Fuck! We can¡¯t get anything on him now. If I find out about the hacker, I teach them both a lesson!¡±


    Lily looked up. She stole a knowing nce at Shaun


    Shaun turned around after sensing the icy re on him, only to find Lold looking at Lily. He suddenly questioned what he just felt.


    Loid looked away from Lily and sank into deep thought. Momentster, he said, ¡°Look for him at Alchos.¡±


    Lily froze. Then, she looked up at him. Sensing her gaze, he turned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied calmly as she looked away.


    Loid took a few nces at her, but he eventually said nothing.


    ¡°A cunning man like him wouldn¡¯t hide at Alchos, would he? It¡¯s like walking into a trap¡± It never urred to Shaun that Venom would be at Alchos.


    ¡°Tell me, where else can he go in Bridgeport other than Alchos? There was a chilling gleam in Loid¡¯s eyes.


    Shuddering, Shaun dodged his gaze. ¡°Right, Venom won¡¯t run around Bridgeport because it¡¯s our hurt. Alchos is the safest ce for him. But how do we get Alchos to turn him in?¡±


    Shaun rubbed his temples. ¡°Elliot will never allow us to arrest Venom because Venom is from Alchos. It¡¯s unwise to cross Elliot because we need Alchos¡® help for intel.¡±


    ¡°Elliot won¡¯t burn Venom over. Taking a sip of water, Loid stated calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to arrest Venom at Alchos. Just confirm that he¡¯s there.¡±


    Shaun immediately got the hint. Smiling, he concurred, ¡°Good idea. Venom can¡¯t hide in Akchos forever. I¡¯ll visit Akchos tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mmhm¡± Loid, head tilted, nocked Lily staring palely at her phone.


    cing a hand on her shoulder, he whispered, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    Snapping back to reality, Lily pursed her lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention about a patient in Bridgeport? Why don¡¯t we visit the patient tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t.¡± Looking serious, he analyzed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t being careful enough. I thought your medical skills should be known to the world, that it¡¯ll be good for your career progression. But I forgot that you and I are different. Your medical skills will only bring you trouble.¡±


    Caressing her head, he said dotingly, ¡°I know you don¡¯t need my protection, but I wouldn¡¯t want to see you in trouble.¡±


    Lily stared at him wordlessly


    ¡°We attracted a lot of attention on our trip to Bridgeport. It¡¯s not the best time for you to take on patients. I¡¯ll arrange for the patient to visit you once we¡¯re back in Lagersfield,¡± be offered cautiously, worried that she might be angry at him.


    She shrugged but did not seem furious. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to miss out on the money. That¡¯s all¡±


    Smiling, he joked, ¡°Shall lend you some money? I promise it¡¯ll be more than enough.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    All the important figures would show up at the auction hosted by the Weiss family tomorrow. Redashil might be a useless item for the plebeians, but it was highly coveted by the Hidden Families and the great families,


    With the Four Great Families of Bridgeport and the Hidden Families joining the game, Lily might not stand a chance of winning the bid for Redushil with her current wealth. Despite that, she had always tried to solve her problems without asking Loid for help.


    If Loid guessed correctly, Lily had probably gathered money from Aeston and the underground forces. Still, she probably needed to make money urgently because the amount she possessed wasn¡¯t sufficient to bid for Redshal


    ¡°Does ite with interest?¡± she teased him back with a bratty smile.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Loidughed out loud with a tender look in his eyes. "One cent in interest. How does that sound?"


    "Deal," Lily readily agreed.


    It felt good to be spending her fianc¨¦''s money.


    Meanwhile, Shaun felt envious of the couple''s loving interaction.


    ¡­


    After dinner, Lily texted Venom on her way back to the Laurier residence: "Your whereabouts are exposed. Someone will look for you at Alchos. Get Hawk to help you with the disguise."


    Soon, she received a reply: "Fuck! Who are they? I thought you edited my coordinates."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Stealing a nce at Loid, she found him enjoying some shut-eye. She looked away and fell into a short silence. Then, she wrote: "They''re the people who were after you today."


    Speechless, Venom thought, "Ugh, they won''t stop haunting me!"


    Venom: "Cool. I have trust in Hawk''s disguise techniques. I''ll be waiting for them at Alchos. Let''s see if they''ll recognize me. Thanks."


    Lily did not reply this time. She tucked her phone into her pocket and had some shut-eye. She hadn''t asked Loid about his grudge with Venom. After all, it wasn''t a conflict she could resolve in person.


    Many of her identities had been exposedtely. She would only invite trouble if people found out she was K from Alchos.


    After dinner at the Laurier residence, Arthur consumed the medicine that Nell had prepared for him, followed by an acupuncture session. He looked more vigorous after that.


    Mnie and Stefan left home three hourster than Loid and Lily, and they just made it to the Laner residence not long ago.


    When Loy got home, she saw Arthur chatting merrily with Mnie and Stefan, who had dropped by for a visit. Arthur clearly seemed fond of Stefan and his family, judging from the care smile on his face.


    Mnie took Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°You must be tired after a day of traveling in the car.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Lily was sleepy but tried her best to be agreeable around Mnie.


    Arthur did not know Lily that well, but he had heard about Lily from Mnie. After meeting the youngdy in person, he took a liking to her.


    He motioned at Lily toe over. ¡°Here, youngdy, Let¡¯s have a chat.¡±


    Nodding, Lily took a seat beside him.


    ¡°I heard you cured Loid¡¯s illness. Is that true? Arthur forced a smile to make himself appear friendly and warm. Having spent years in business, he carried himself with an intimidating air, which he feared might be offputting for Lily.


    Staring at her feet, she replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Great Great.¡± Nodding furiously, Arthur praised her, ¡°You¡¯re so sessful at such a young age! Mnie was right. Loid doesn¡¯t deserve you!¡±


    Laid was rendered wordless at Arthur¡¯s backhandedpliment.


    Tilting her head, Lily nced at him with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s fine, I guess I don¡¯t have high standards.¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Loid shot Lily a begrudging look, but she returned a bold, brazen re.


    Entertained by Lily¡¯s remark, Arthurmented, ¡°You¡¯re a great kid.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s best that you hide your identity for now. Youngdy, I might be getting ahead of myself, but I still want to remind you that you¡¯re no ordinary person, and neither is Loid. Us Lauriers are no ordinary family as well.¡±


    Concern colored Arthur¡¯s face as he took a sip of tea. ¡°Loid and you will settle down in Bridgeport¨Cawolves¡® den! You need toy low before you can protect yourself.¡±


    If Lily had grown up in wealth in the Martinez family, Arthur wouldn¡¯t have bothered telling her about the dangers in Bridgeport as he would want his granddaughter¨Cinw to live without worry.


    However, Lily wasn¡¯t a Martinez, and she wasn¡¯t an ignorant youngdy from the countryside. On top of that, she was sed in medicine and socializing. She stuck to her principles when the dealt with matters.


    sshe was Shadowbane, a legendary figure whose services were


    Lily was generous, carefree, and only did what she believed to be right. She wasn¡¯t just another medical genius; i sought after


    Given Shadowbane¡¯s reputation, the great families in Bridgeport would love to pay for her services. s, no one had seen her in real life, and very few could track her down¡­


    Shadowbane¡¯sck of interest in money was rather bizarre. She judged her patients by their character and would not offer her services to wretched individuals no matter how much they were willing to offer.


    On the contrary, she would willingly save the lives of those with upright character even if they could only afford to pay her a penny


    Arthur had heard about the ten patients from upper¨Css families with good reputations who had received treatment from Shadowbane


    ording to the rumors, four out of ten of the patients paid a hundred thousand dors each for their treatments¨C95 thousand dors for the medicine and five thousand dors for the consultation.


    The four patients had suffered from their allments for a long time after many renowned doctors had failed to treat them.


    One of the patients was, in fact, dead. But Shadowbane dly epted one dor in payment before performing acupuncture to revive the dead. The said individual was Yannick Dalton, the patriarch of the Dalton family


    Shadowbane also revived another dead man, yet she went ahead and charged him his entire worth¨Ctens of billions of dors.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Arthur knew that Lily would be in danger once news got out that she was Shadowbane


    ¡°Grandpa Arthur, don¡¯t worry, I Eknow what to do.¡± Lily appreciated Arthur¡¯s concern, but she wasn¡¯t worried at all about threats.


    She had lived her life without a care, and she hated ying dirty. Over the years, she had experienced many dangers while she struggled to live on the streets. However, those who wanted to hurt her all ended up dead or crippled.


    She didn¡¯t even have to take down the threats around her, as many out there would help her out of gratitude. Besides, people were willing to protect her life since she was the hopefor many patients.


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Arthur did not lecture her anymore after seeing her confident look, He could tell that she was aware of the concerns he highlighted.


    Lily nodded without a word.


    Arthur turned his attention to Lold. ¡°You gotta win the bid for Redshill at the Weiss family¡¯s auction tomorrow. Don Llet it fall into the hands of your Aunt Nora and Uncle Martin.¡±


    Lily looked up with a frown. ¡°Are you aiming to get Redushil too?¡± She fixed her eyes at Lold, hoping for an exnation


    Meeting her eyes, he beamed. ¡°Redushil is yours. We won¡¯t fight you for it,¡±


    Arthur seemed taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Lily, do you want Redushil as well?


    Loid nodded. ¡°Lily¡¯s grandma needs Redushil. We must cede it to her.¡±


    Arthur fell into a short silence.


    Then, he looked up and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s fine. The only reason we¡¯re bidding for Redushil is to keep it out of the hands of the Hidden Families. We can hand it to Lily.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Lily said to him, ¡°Thanks, Grandpa Arthur.¡±


    Even if Arthur insisted on bidding for Redushil, she wouldn¡¯t back down. If that happened, it would also spell the end of her rtionship with the Laurlers.


    ¡°We¡¯re all family. It¡¯s no biggie. Rest early tonight. Get the money ready tomorrow for the auctionter at night,¡± said Arthur with a smile.


    ¡°Sure,¡±

 Chapter 209

    Chapter <b>209</b>


    Late at night, a man sat on the couch of a luxury vi in the suburbs. Holding a ss of red wine with squinted eyes, he carried himself like a monarch


    His subordinate, dressed in a ck suit, stood across from him. The man in ck kept his head low and reported dutifully, ¡°My lord, Lily Brooks isn¡¯t involved in Arthur Laurier¡¯s poisoning.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± The man raised his tone. ¡°I underestimated her, then. She¡¯s quite patient.¡±


    ¡°We might have made a wrong judgment. She might not even be skilled in medicine at all. From what I learned from the Lauriers, Neil Austin is the one who detoxified Loid Turer. <b>Should </b>we shift our focus to Neil Austin instead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a ruse to confuse you all.<b>¡± </b>Taking <b>a </b>sip of the red wine, the man rose from the couch without any expression. ¡°Nell Austin wouldn¡¯t have kept Loid Laurier waiting for <b>half a </b><b>year </b>if he truly had the antidote to the Bloodbane poison. Only fools would bebeve that he¡¯s Shadowbane.¡±


    His subordinate frowned. ¡°Do you mean we should continue to keep an eye on Lily Brooks?¡°¡±


    The man fell into silence as he mused


    ¡°My lord, we have wasted too much time on Lilly Brooks. Your grandpa¡¯s condition can¡¯t wait. Why don¡¯t we pressure Alchos so that will look for Shadowbane? We need Shadowbane¡¯s help,¡± suggested the subordinate.


    Themen shot his subordinate acold re. ¡°What do you take Alchos as? Do you want to get my family cklisted for putting pressure on Elliot Quade?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± the subordinate hurriedly exined with his head hung low,


    The man scoffed. ¡°Kretused to take our requests after ten such attempts from our side. Either Kor Shadowbane refuses to entertain us. If so, it¡¯s pointless to put in more requests.


    Shadowbane was hard to locate. Whether among the Four Great Families of Bridgeport or the Hidden Families, no one could trace Shadowbane through theirworks.


    The only person who had ess to Shadowbane was from Alchos. Those fortunate enough to have their requests channeled by Alchos through Kwere more likely to secure <b>Shadowbane¡¯s </b>assistance.


    The reason behind K¡¯s refusal to assist was ting¨Cshadowbane was unwilling to help.


    His subordinate looked up <b>with </b>worry. ¡°What do we do? We can¡¯t keep your grandpa waiting. If we fail to find a cure, I¡¯m afraid-¡±


    ¡°The family physician will <b>do </b>for now. Our only solution now is to ascertain Lily Brooks¡® medical prowess. The man ced the wine ss on the table. ¡°Recall all our men who were assigned to monitor Lily Brooks. We¡¯ve attracted attention. Ler¡¯s wait until they let their guards down.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± the subordinate replied politely.


    Looking away, the man asked casually, ¡°How¡¯s the collection of the action funds going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done. We¡¯ve gathered all your <b>assets</b>, worth a total of eight billion dors. That should be sufficient,¡± reported the subordinate.


    The man hissed with furrowed brows. ¡°That¡¯s far from <b>enough</b>! Get another fivebillion dors. We must win the Redushil in the Weiss family¡¯s auction.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The next day, <b>Shaun </b><b>showed </b>up at Alchos with <b>Daniel</b>. The security guards led them into the headquarters after receiving the green light.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The Alchos building stood ten stories tall, with Elliot Quade¡¯s office upying the highest floor. This was also the designated meeting ce for K, Venom, Panther, and Hawk.


    Given the unique powers and inherent dangers associated with the Elite Four, Elliot <b>was </b>the sole individual present at Alhas most of the time


    Elliot entered his office and marched over to Shaun and Daniel impassively<b>. </b>¡°<b>What </b>brings you here, gentlemen?¡±

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Elliot rarely bothered with people or matters that failed to pique his interest<b>. </b>His knowledge of individuals backgrounds only extended as far as necessary for research purposes


    Still, he recognized the two men in his office. Earlier, Khad asked him to look into Leid Laurier and Jason Martinez Delving deeper, he uncovered their social connections.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As it turned out, both visitors were employed by Loid Intriguingly, one of them hailed from the esteemed Knight family of Bridgeport.


    The situation fascinated lot. What had Venom done to provoke these men to the point where they demanded him from Alches?


    Shaun smirked. The silver ear stud <b>on </b>his left ear reflected a jarring light. Digging out his ID <b>from </b>his pocket, he handed it over to Elliot. ¡°This is my ID


    Elliot¡¯s eyes wavered in shock when he saw the ID. Momentster, be returned the ID and exined, ¡°Alchos has Halsed with the authorities. I believe you have no good reason or the capability to find trouble with us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Quade, you misunderstood us. This is nothing more than a routine patrol,¡± Shaun smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a formality so that we can report back to our bosses.¡±


    Elliot squinted before guffawing ¡°Sure. Go ahead, please.¡±


    He personally led Shaun and Daniel to check out the premises starting from the first floor. Apart from the top floor, the rest of the floors were office areas.


    Each year, Alchos would hire new graduates equipped with professional skills. The newbies would be assigned to different floors for their internships, and the top performers would be assigned to minor missions as training.


    As Alchos was a famous name in the country, many candidates applied to work here. Hence, each floor was filled with many employees.


    Shaon and Daniel appeared to be looking out for safety breaches in the building, but they were, in fact, silently scrutinizing the employees.


    They continued until the eighth floor, but Venom was nowhere to be found Shaun knitted his brows together. He looked sideways at Daniel and whispered, ¡°Did Loid make a mistake? Is Venom not here?¡±


    Although he kept his voice low, Eliot still picked up every word from the conversation from ahead.


    Elliot tilted his head and stole a nce at Shaun from the corners of his eyes, yet he said nothing as he continued leading the two men around Alchos.


    Daniel replied in a whisper, ¡°There are two more floors left. We might find him somewhere around there. Don¡¯t panic for now.¡±


    Shaun nodded but remained concerned.


    After they toured the ninth floor, Shan¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°What the fuck? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡±


    ¡°Only the tenth floor is left.¡± Daniel appeared troubled as well, but he firmly believed in Loid¡¯s assessment Venom could not be anywhere else but Alches.


    ¡°Damn it! That¡¯s where Elliot Quade¡¯s office and the Elite Four are. They¡¯re rarely there. How the hell do we locate Venom on that floor? Plus, we can¡¯t risk getting on Elliot Quade¡¯s bad side. We might need his helpter.¡±


    Elliot unexpectedly stepped in with a generous offer. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why not check the tenth floor thoroughly? You <b>won¡¯t </b>be <b>making </b>more routine visits to Alchos, right?¡± Shaon¡¯s expression hardened. Smiling awkwardly, he turned down the offer. ¡°<b>We¡¯ll </b>skip the tenth floor. I doubt we¡¯ll find anything there.¡±


    ¡°You should <b>take </b>a look. I can be a careless man. Who knows if I¡¯ve overlooked some safety measures?¡± Elliot insisted as he pressed the elevator button for the tenth floor.


    Shaun made the daring decision to follow suit. As expected, <b>Venon </b>was nowhere to be found on the tenth floor.


    ¡°We apologize for any inconvenience. It¡¯s time for us to report back.¡± Feeling humiliated <b>and </b>angered, Shaun quickly said <b>goodbye </b>to Elliot before leaving Alchos with Daniel.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    After leaving Alchos, Shaun immediately called Loid and reported the situation.


    ¡°Station someone at Akhos to keep tabs on Venom. He must be in there somehow,¡± Loid remarked curtly before hanging up


    Shaun stared at his phone and fell into deep thoughts. Daniel looked at him, ¡°What did Loid say?¡±


    ¡°He wants us to monitor Alchos because Venom is surely there<b>¡± </b>ncing in the direction of Alchos with furrowed brows, Shaun grumbled, ¡°I looked high and low in Alchos. Venom is definitely not there. What is Loid trying to do?¡±


    After some silence, Daniel pped the car door when a thought urred to him. Ah, I recall it now! Hawk of Alchos is a famous makeup artist. She can make someone look entirely different with her exceptional <b>skills</b>¡±


    Rubbing his chin, Shaun mused, ¡°Hm, that reminds me <b>of </b>something. We once requested Hawk¡¯s services to disguise Ken for his safe retum to the country.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Hawk would definitely be willing to help Venom, <b>who¡¯s </b>one of the Elre Four. Besides, Theard that she¡¯s in towntely,¡± Daniel agreed excitedly.


    ¡°But how can we tell <b>Venom </b>apart if Hawk is skilled in the art <b>of disguise</b>?¡± Shaun pointed out a concern.


    Daniel opined, ¡°A man can take on many faces, but his mannerisms will not change. Venom is in the weapon trade <b>business</b>, and he¡¯s one of the big bosses in Emerald Delta. He has a ferocity within him that¡¯s not seen in ordinary Alchos employees.¡±


    Shaun pped his hand. ¡°That¡¯s perfect I¡¯ll dispatch some men to keep guard at Alchios. I don¡¯t think Venom can get away this time. I¡¯ll fucking nab this bastard!¡±


    After that, he immediately made calls to set up the arrangements.


    The auction hosted by the Weiss family would kick off at thergest hotel in Bridgeport, the Grand Emperor Hotel.


    The Weiss family had booked out the hotel Private lounges had been reserved for the auction quests.


    The auction would take ce at the grand hall on the firstfloor. The ordinary guests would be seated on the first floor while the VIPS would fill the private lounges on the second floor that offered vantage views of the auction.


    The auction was scheduled for 9:00 pm, but guests started filing into the hall at 8:00 pm.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Not only were the wealthy in attendance, but some middle¨Css attendees showed up as well. The Weiss family had poured in efforts to host the auction not just to auction off Redushil but also some antiques. Thetter served to attract crowds to the auction.


    Loid and Lily <b>arrived </b>at the same time as Joanne, Ynda, and Nora. As Loid was discussing some arrangements with Daniel, Lily waited for him by the side.


    Ynda sneered at Lily, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did Lo bring you here to expand the horizons that you sock? Well, you¡¯d better take advantage of this opportunity in case he dumps you one day. If that happens, you won¡¯t have such a chance anymore¡±


    Unbothered, Lily slipped a hand into her pocket and stared at Yndazily. She had no intention of wasting her time on a woman like Vnda.


    Growing more irritated by Lily¡¯s indifference, Ynda snapped, ¡°Why the smug attitude? Just because you¡¯re Lo¡¯s fianc¨¦e doesn¡¯t mean you can look down on me. Remember, you¡¯re from the countryside a poor match for Lo. Without him, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to set foot in this auction. Know your ce.¡±


    Lilly started feeling annoyed by Ynda<b>. </b>¡°Are you an attention¨Cseeker?


    *I¡¯m just reminding you to stay in yourne,¡± Ynda rerouted haughtily.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lily fixed an emotionless gaze on Ynda. ¡°Can I only prove my social status if I¡¯m able to enter the auction hall by myself?


    ¡°Of course!¡± Ynda held her head high ¡°Idare you to enter without Lo.¡±


    Nodding, Uly shed her a roguish smile. ¡°<b>Of </b>course.¡±


    Then, Lily tumbled in her shoulder bag for an invitation card, which she handed to the security guard. Pointing at Lold, Daniel, and Shaun, she informed the guard. ¡°Those three are my friends.¡±

 Chapter 212

    Chapter <b>212</b>


    The security guard¡¯s expression turned to shock when he saw the gold invitation card. He gasped. ¡°The gold invitation card? M¨CMay I know who you are?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Weiss delivered the gold invitation card to me. Do you need to check it Lily questioned <b>calmly</b>.


    ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s fine Please enter. Once your friends are done talking, 1 guide them to you.¡± The security guard orded Lily the greatest respect.


    Nodding at him, Lily then turned her gaze to Ynda. She said to the guard, ¡°May I request for thisdy and her group to stay out of the auction this time?¡±


    ¡°Um..¡± The security guard appeared flustered


    Lily added, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t put you in a <b>difficult </b>spot. I¡¯ll speak to Mr. Weiss-


    The security guard <b>quickly </b>interjected, ¡°Oh, <b>it¡¯s </b>no problem at all. I¡¯ll get them out of the hall right now.


    Right after <b>that</b>, the guard gathered his colleagues and went up to Ynda. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. You¡¯re prohibited from entering the hall. We shall rescind your invitation to <b>the</b>


    <b>auction</b>.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you know who we <b>are</b>? How dare you kick us out?¡± shrieked Ynda


    At the same time, Nora¡¯s and Joanne¡¯s mouths tell to the floor. They could not believe that they were stopped by security at the auction entrance and threatened to be kicked out, especially when they were from the Albott family.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    What a joke!


    ¡°<b>My </b>apologies, but I¡¯m just carrying out orders. Please leave, or we might need to chase you out the guard warned them coldly.


    Nora bellowed, ¡°How dare you? Open your eyes wide and look carefully! We¡¯re from the Albott family. How dare you throw us out? Does Mr. Weiss know about this?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± The security was surprised to leam that they were the Albotts¨Cone of the Hidden Families. He immediately appeared lost and confused.


    Nora glowered at the poor guard. ¡°You ignorant bastard<b>. </b>Get lost! With that, she shoved him aside and forced her way into the hall


    The security guard was trapped between a rock <b>and </b>a hard ce, but at the sight of Lily¡¯s expressionless <b>face</b>, he came to a difficult decision and physically stopped Nora from entering ¡°<b>You </b>shall not enter.¡±


    Despite not wanting to offend anyone, the guard nheless prioritized Lily¡¯s interests due to the fact that she owned a gold invitation card. The Weisses had only issued one gold invitation card for the auction.


    Before departing for the hotel, Layton Weiss had specificallygathered the staff and reminded them to look out for the gold invitation card holder. They had to treat the holder with the utmost respect as she would be the family¡¯s distinguished guest.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the guard chose toply with Lily¡¯s instructions. He could not afford to slight the Albotts, but it would be even more unthinkable to disobey Layton Weiss after he hadid out the instructions regarding the gold invitation card holder.


    ¡°What did you just <b>say</b>?¡± Nora couldn¡¯t believe that the security guard insisted on stopping her.


    ¡°Thedy over here holds the gold invitation card that was personally issued by the head of the Weiss family. If she wishes to exclude you from the auction, we have no choice but to follow her directive-¡±


    Before he could finish, Nora pped him across the face.


    Her voice dripped with <b>anger</b>. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me <b>in </b>that manner? What¡¯s <b>so </b>special about a gold invitation card holder? Ask Mr. Weiss if he agrees with keeping <b>us </b>out.¡±


    Furious yet helpless, the guard pressed a hand on his cheek. The Weisses, the Albotts, and Lily were people whom he could not afford to offend.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? An imposing, assertive male voice echoed in the air.


    Looking up, the guard recognized his employer. He politely greeted him, ¡°Hi, Mr. Weiss,¡±


    The man who showed up was the patriarch of the Weiss family, Layton Weiss.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    The guard informed Layton about the events and waited dutifully for Layton¡¯s instructions.


    After listening, Layton cast a shocked look at Lily. Indeed, he had personally crafted and sent the invitation, but it was delivered to Elliot Quade of Alchos.


    Although the Weisses were not one of the Four Great Families of Bridgeport, their reputation had been suffering and declining over the years as the family faced troubles. In a desperate move, Layton decided to auction off his family¡¯s prized possession¨Cthe Redushil.


    Fully aware of the auction¡¯s challenges, Layton sought support from other families. While the Four Great Families of Bridgeport outwardly expressed their support, they were, in fact, motivated by their covertpetition for the Redushil.


    To bolster security at the event, Layton reached out to Alchos. However, Elliot Quade remained elusive, and Alchos typically epted riskier assignments. They would probably not ept mundane requests to provide security at an event.


    Just as Layton was wracking his brains to get in touch with Elliot, Elliot reached out to <b>him</b>, much to his surprise. Elliot asked for an invitation to the auction on behalf of a friend Without hesitation, Layton issued <b>a </b>gold invitation card.


    In return, Elliot arranged for an Alchos member to attend the auction to protect Redushil from the


    However, Layton did not expect Elliot to hand the invitation to such a lovely youngdy.


    He examined Lily, thinking, ¡°She¡¯s good¨Clooking, yet she has a fierce look and carries herself in an Imposing manner as though she could outshine everyone.¡±


    Momentster<b>, </b>he turned to Nora. ¡°My apologies. This youngdy is our distinguished guest. If <b>she </b>wishes to exclude you from the auction, I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave.¡± After serious deliberation, he decided to fulfill Lily¡¯s w


    Although Layton did not want to offend the Alberts, it would be much more undesirable to get on Alchos¡® bad side. Since he didn¡¯t have a choice, he would choose the lesser evil. ¡°What did you say?¡± Notagaped at Layton in disbelief


    He looked at her squarely. ¡°Please leave.¡±


    ¡°Layton Weiss, you must have gone mad.¡± Nora almost bellowed at him. ¡°How could you make enemies with the Albots and the Lauriers for a mere girl?


    Smiling quietly, Layton countered, ¡°Ms. Laurier, consider this¨Cyou married into the Albott family two decades ago. By all ounts, you should represent the Albotts. Why would you speak for the Laurier family<b>?</b>


    ¡°Had Mr.Laurier Senior been present, he would never have permitted you to get your way using the Laurier family name,¡±


    ¡°<b>You </b>¡±


    Nora¡¯s face hired red. Her chest rose and fell from the agitation.


    Joanne, who had been keeping her silence, finally spoke up, ¡°Mr. Weiss, are you sure you want to refuse our entry? Her demeanor exuded grace, her expression calm. Even her voice carried <b>a </b>peaceful tone<b>, </b><b>as </b>though she was merely discussing an inconsequential matter.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Yet, her very presence radiated intimidation, exerting subtle pressure on Layton. He wavered, nearly losing his bnce.


    At that moment, Lily appeared beside Layton, her hand resting on his back. Though her gesture appeared gentle and unassuming, she effortlessly supported Layton¡¯s 150¨Cpound frame from toppling over.


    Layton span around to look at Lily with a troubled look she had excellent strength in her ami


    With her chin raised, Lily directed her gaze at Joanne. Wearing an amused expression, she stated, ¡°Perhaps you misheard. It¡¯s not Mr. Weiss who declined your entry¨CIt¡¯s me. If the Albotts are displeased, you¡¯re wee to address it with me.¡±


    Layton cast a grateful look at Lily, who might be petite but fiercely loyal

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have stood up for Layton. Since he had affronted the Albotts, he would only be <b>in </b>more trouble in the future.


    Despite everything, Lily spoke up for him. Although her words might not carry weight, Layton knew he wouldn¡¯t regret his decision <b>today</b>.


    Joanne¡¯s narrowed eyes bore into Lily. She sneered, ¡°Who do you think you are? We Albotts will never bother with you.¡±


    ¡°Need an introduction?¡± Lily responded with a simr sneer.


    <b>Joanne </b>lowered her gaze and toyed with her hair for a bit. Then, she snapped her head up with an ley re ¡°Don¡¯t assume you¡°re untouchable because you have Lo¡¯s support. Lily Brooks, you¡¯re in Bridgeport, not the middle of nowhere. One misstep and you can lose your life at any time.¡±


    Lily slid her hand into her pocket and chortled wildly. She was about to retort when she heard Loid hissing at Joanne coldly. ¡°Tryying a finger on her!¡±


    Loid stepped forward, his arm encircling Lily¡¯s shoulder. His other hand disappeared into his pocket, and he loomed over Joanne with a piercing gaze.


    Flinching, Joanne finallycollected herself and shot a furious look at him. ¡°Loid, we¡¯re family friends. Are you seriously going to have a tallout with us over a crass girl? Does your grandpa agret with¨Cargh!¡±


    Lold had lunged at Joanne and wrapped his fingers around her neck with a murderous look. He said to her in an icy tone, ¡°A crass girl? Say that again!¡±


    ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing?¡± Joanne¡¯s face turned purple as she had difficulty in breathing. Her voice started shaking. At that moment, she detected the murderous intent in his eyes


    For the first time, fear wed at her.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a doormat just because I¡¯m nice to your family?¡± He increased the strength of his grip, resembling a terrifying Grim Reaper..


    Lily, having never seen him so angry, was taken aback by his overreaction. Yet, he managed to look incredibly attractive even in rage.


    She grabbed his hand, trying to remove it with all her might, but her efforts were in vain because she could not overpower him.


    Failing to catch a breath, she stared at him wordlessly. Nora, growing frantic, begged, ¡°Loid, let go <b>of </b>Joanne! We¡¯re family friends with the Albotts. How can we get along if you burt.bec<b>?</b>¡±


    Ynda hurriedly chimed in, ¡°Lo, please stop. You¡¯re scaring me. Please let go of my m.¡± Her eyes welled up. This was the first time she witnessed this side of him.


    Loid turned to look at Ynda tly before letting go of Joanne. He warned them coldly, ¡°I tolerate your family not out of fear but to maintain Bridgeport¡¯s delicate social dynamics. Lily is my final thread. If you hurt her in any way, I¡¯ll end the Albott family.


    ¡°Take <b>my </b>words seriously. I never joke with strangers,¡±


    Losing her <b>bnce</b><b>, </b>Joanne copsed after she was released. She stared up into his frigid eyes. He looked like a wolf. Shuddering, she dodged his gaze.


    Then, he ignored thedies and swept into the <b>hall </b>with Lily in his arms. Staring at his cheek from the side, Lily observed his chiseled side profile. The y of shadows from the lighting made him look enigmatic and distant yet regal. He stirred something within her.


    It took her a while to collect herself Patting him on the shoulder, she chuckled ¡°Loid, protect me.¡±


    His hostility melted, reced by a soft smile. He brushed her head. Likewise<b>, </b>Reese.¡±

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Layton furrowed his brows at the sight of the loving couple. He didn¡¯t expect Lily to be Lold¡¯s nce Loid seemed to hold much affection for her.


    Initially indifferent to such affairs, Layton now found himself drawn in¨Cespecially since it had to do with the Lauriers.


    Layton had not wanted the Four Great Families of Bridgepost to have anything to do with the auction. Anyone with the means to bid for Redushil stood <b>a </b>chance at winning the coveted item. Hence, he specifically excluded the Four Great Families from security arrangementsMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    But now, faced with the revtion that Loid was romantically involved with the Weiss family¡¯s distinguished guest, <b>Layton¡¯s </b>resolve wavered. How could he deny them Redshil?


    ¡°Mr. Weiss, don¡¯t worry,¡± Loid interrupted Layton¡¯s internal struggle. His tone remained calm. ¡°We¡¯ll adhere to the auction rules. Your concerns won¡¯t materialize.¡±


    It <b>took </b>Layton a moment to get the hint Visibly relieved, he smiled. ¡°Apologies for making a joke of myself.¡±


    Loid replied politely, ¡°Better safe than sorry. We can¡¯t risk disrupting Bridgeport¡¯s social dynamics over an auction, can we


    Caught by surprise, Layton managed a smile. ¡°Right¡±


    After that, Loid left with Lily without furtherments. Lold <b>was </b>left to stare at their backs, lost in his thoughts.


    <b>As </b>Lold was a Laurier and Lily the recipient of Layton¡¯s gold invitation card, they were ushered into the most exclusive <b>box </b>in the auction hall¨CBox No. 1.


    Loid received a call right as they took their seats. He rubbed his forehead after seeing the caller ID. He answered the call. ¡°Grandpa.¡°¡±


    ¡°Lold, I heard you and your Aunt Nora got into an argument at the auction. Did you exclude her from the auction?¡± Arthur took a sip of tea with a smile.


    ncing at Lily, Loid replied, ¡°<b>Your </b>granddaughter¨Cinw did that, What¡¯s the matter? Are you trying to put in a good word for Aunt Nora?¡±


    Pausing, Arthur looked disconcerted. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lily. Forget about it, then Enjoy the auction.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯m </b>hanging up, Grandpa.¡± Loid was about to hang up when Arthur stopped him. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Arching a brow, Laid asked, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much<b>. </b><b>It¡¯s </b>just that¡­¡± Setting aside the teacup, Arthur struggled to find the right words. It took him a while to exin, ¡°We¡¯re family friends with the Albetts. Could you <b>speak </b>to Lily and allow Nora and the others into the auction? I owe her a favor.¡±


    Loid sighed. Having been aware of the purpose behind Arthur¡¯s call, he purposely skirted around the topic. However, he couldn¡¯t possibly ignore the request after Arthur brought


    it up.


    Rubbing his temples in defeat, he asked Arthur, ¡°<b>Why </b>don¡¯t you speak directly to Lily about this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Arthur shot up from his seat in agitation. ¡°I¡¯m too ashamed to ask tily for the favor, especially knowing your Aunt Nora and her behavior. I can tell Lily is genuinely upset, and I can¡¯t bring myself to seek her forgiveness. Looks like your Aunt <b>Nora </b>will have to miss <b>out</b>.¡±


    Before Arthur could finish<b>, </b>Lily took the call from Lold and replied calmly, ¡°Grandpa, you don¡¯t have to beg


    Blushing in embarrassment, Arthur replied, ¡°Lily, sorry for the trouble¡±


    I¡¯ll let them into the auction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Lily chatted briefly with him before ending the call. She then instructed the attendant by the door to inform Layton to admit Nora and her group


    Soon, the attendant led Nora and the others into the venue. Nora and thedies were arranged to sit in thest box. When they passed by Box No. 1, Nora, Joanne, and Ynda stole angry nces at Lily, each upied by their thoughts.


    Lily nced at them before looking away.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Daniel and Shaun had made their way to the <b>auction </b><b>hall</b>, but Lily did not ask questions. They returned right as she had wrapped up a mobile game round.


    Daniel went up to Loid and whispered, ¡°Mr. Quinn is in the neighboring box¡±


    Freezing up, Loid had a gleam in <b>his </b>eyes, and his expression shifted. Lilly picked up on his difort and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    They were interrupted by a knock on the door.


    Daniel turned to Load to seek his approval. He opened the door after receiving a nod from Loid.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When the door <b>opened</b>, Lily saw a good¨Clooking man standing out there. He had a charm about him, especially in his bedazzling eyes¡­


    Resting her head in her hand, she stole a few nces at him before <b>turning </b>away. He might be hot, but he exuded hostility. He was without a doubt a Venom Man. Men like him did not interest her at all.


    Loid observed her response and quietly smirked. Soon, be wiped away the look on his face and casually greeted the visitor, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Quinn.¡±


    Tuming to Lily, Loid introduced <b>Jaiden </b>to her, ¡°This is Jaiden Quinn, the heir of the Quinn family.¡±


    Lily granted coolly. She nced at Jaiden bre staring down at the message on her phone ¡°Fuck Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were in Bridgeport? That¡¯s too much.¡±


    She texted a reply without much emotion: ¡°I¡¯ll leave after i settle some affairs. Aren¡¯t you in Emerald Delta, still?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can return to Bridgeport, you know?


    Uly was rendered speechless. She received another text: ¡°Where are you? I¡¯meet with you.¡±


    Shezily texted back: ¡°The Grand Emperor Hotel<b>¡±</b>


    <b>Suddenly</b>, she sensed the silence in the box and the eyes on her. Looking up, she found Loid and Jaiden ufortably tuming away from her.


    She raised <b>a </b>brow, challenging them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡±


    She could not wrap her head around their behavior.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. Please put your cap on.¡± Feeling defeated, Loid coughed embarrassedly. He couldn¡¯t believe that Lily was oblivious to the deadly attraction her beauty posed Just now, she sat in <b>a </bmanding position <b>as </b><b>she </b>casually texted the others. Her imposing presence had drawn considerable attention.


    Stunned, she immediately got the hint and irritably put her cap back on her head. She then hissed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me!¡±


    Jaiden, taken aback by the annoyance in her tone, shifted his focus to Laid. ¡°Mr. Laurier, Theard you were in Box No.1, and I thought of <b>dropping </b>by to say hi¡± A pauseter, he prodded, ¡°Mr. Laurier, are you bidding for the Redushil?¡±


    Loid slowly tapped his fingers on the tabletop <b>as </b>he fixed an amused expression on Jaiden. ¡°Mr. Quinn, you¡¯re here for the Redushil too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Jaiden stiffened before pursing his lips. He pleaded, ¡°Mr. Laurier, could you consider letting me have it? It¡¯s very important to me, I¡¯ll owe you a favor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Lily interjected in a cold and hostile voice before Loid could reply to Jaiden.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter <b>217</b>


    Lily tossed her phone onto the table and stared coldly at Jaiden like a beast ready to pounce, Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but freeze under her threatening gate, and the tension in the box was palpable.


    It took Jaiden a while to regain hisposure. He addressed Lily politely, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you do me a favor since you have no use for Redushil anyway? I¡¯m willing to offer you some rare herbs in exchange for the Redshil¡±


    Her patience wearing thin, Lily rested a foot on the chair and stared down at Jaiden Eke a hooligan. ¡°Is my favor worth anything?


    ¡°Hm?¡± At a loss for words, Jaiden stammered, ¡°1-1 guess,¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± she shrugged. ¡°Too bad I don¡¯t need money.¡±


    Loid could not hold back <b>a </bugh at Jaiden¡¯s defeat. ¡°See, Mr. Quinn? My fianc¨¦e disagrees. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m at her mercy. Please forgive me,


    ¡°So, you seem intent on snatching the Redushil from me.¡± Jaiden straightened his body and grew stem.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fairpetition. There¡¯s no snatching. Whoever puts in the highest bid gets the Redushil,¡± Loid corrected him while peeling a tangerine for Lily.


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes narrowed. He suddenly smiled. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s a fairpetition, then.¡±


    After Jaiden left, Lily finally retracted her foot from the table and checked her phone<b>, </b>just in time to read the text from Duncan: ¡°Damn! Are you at the Grand Emperor Hotel? Are you in the hall or a


    box2


    Raising a <b>brow</b>, she <b>swiftly </b>replied: ¡°Why


    ¡°I¡¯m here too! Let me know where <b>you </b><b>are</b>, and I¡¯ll look for you!¡±


    Lily had to put her phone away before replying as the lights in the <b>hall </b>had turned on The auctioneer went onstage holding a microphone.


    A thought struck her. She turned to Loid and informed <b>him</b>, ¡°The man from just now was a Venom Man!!


    ¡°A Venom Man?¡± He frowned at her. <b>Shaun </b>and Daniel turned to her as well.


    ¡°A Venom Man or Woman grew up being exposed to poison. He¡¯s venomous from head to toe. Whoever touches him will be poisoned, but the effects vary,¡± exined Lily while she cast a pensive look at the box next to theirs<b>.</b>


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®effects vary?¡± Shaun <b>was </b>confused:Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily¡¯s attention refocused<b>, </b>and she leaned her chin on her palm. Her voice took on a deliberate drawl as she exined, ¡°Consider this. If you were lightly poisoned by contact with his blood, a simple antidote would suffice. But Daniel? He could end up with the Bloodbane polson or something even worse¡­¡±


    After a slight pause, she slowly revealed, ¡°the Mindshroud polson!¡±


    A heavy silence enveloped the box as everyone absorbed Lily¡¯s words. Loid¡¯s demeanor shifted noticeably while Shaun and Daniel appeared shell¨Cshocked.


    Shaun finally regained hisposure after some struggle. His words tumbled out ngently, ¡°Are you suggesting that he¡¯s the one who poisoned your grandmother and Jason with the Mindshroud poison?¡±


    ¡°Jaiden Quinn may be a Venom Man<b>, </b>but he has no control over the poisoning¡±


    Straightening her back, <b>she </b>put on <b>a </b>serious expression. ¡°That is unless the person who transformed him into a Venom Man knows precisely where the venom concentrates in his body. In that case, Jaiden could extract blood from the venomous part of his body.¡±

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Squinting coldly, Loid asked, ¡°Will Jaiden Quinn be able to offer an antidote to the Mindshroud poison?¡±


    Lily answered, ¡°No. Given his state, he has, at most, one year to live.¡±


    Shane shuddered before he turned to Loid. A glint appeared in Loid¡¯s eyes, but he said nothing


    by the Weiss family¡­¡±


    At that moment, the auctioneer began, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the auction hosted by


    The auctioneer rambled on with some formalities before getting to the point. ¡°We have six items on auction today¨Cfive of them antiques provided by some esteemed families, and one of them the Redashil offered by the Weiss family.


    *1 believe that many of you are after the Redushil. As we all know, the Redshil is a rare nt, indeed. It might be on auction, but Mr. Weiss hopes that it¡¯ll fall into the hands of those worthy of it.¡±


    <b>Taking </b><b>a </b>breath, the auctioneer continued, ¡°Therefore, we have increased the number of auction items to ten. The four newly added items are rare herbs that bear a close resemnce to the Redushi The items will be auctioned in a randomized order as there isn¡¯t a crown jewel in this auction.


    ¡°It¡¯s lock and skill that willnd you the real Redushit¡±


    The hall erupted into amotion after the participants listened to the announcement.


    ¡°<b>What </b>are they <b>doing</b>? Not many of us have seen Redushil <b>in </b>person precisely because it¡¯s so rare! Who¡¯s going to get the real deal with those rules in the way?¡±


    ¡°Layton Weiss, you¡¯d better exn yourself!¡±


    While the less esteemed families grumbled andined in the hall, the VIPs in the boxes remained <bposed</b>.


    Seated in Box No. <b>2</b><b>, </b>Jaiden turned to the old man beside him. ¡°Mr. Jaggernaut Senior, can you tell Redushil apart from the other herbs?¡±


    ¡°I saw Redushil once 20 years back<b>, </b>but I might not be able to recognize it if it¡¯s disyed next to the other herbs. The man, Augustus Juggernaut, admitted with a grave expression


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, brace yourself. If Ecan¡¯t tell apart Redushil from the other herbs, you might have to bid for each herb just to be safe.


    A man standing beltind Jaiden raged. ¡°Mr. Quinn, the hosts are ying dirty! I¡¯ll meet with Layton Weiss and force him to hand us the Redushil.¡±


    The man was about to storm out when Jaiden stopped him. ¡°Finley,e back!¡±


    Finley Castor stopped in his tracks<b>. </b>He worriedly stated, ¡°We only have three billion dors, yet we¡¯re up against many bidders. What happens if thest herb is the real deal but we <b>run </b>out of funds for it? The Weiss family is trying <b>to </b>suck us dry. Since they¡¯re ying dirty, we shall not hold back.¡±


    ncing at Finley, Jaiden replied coolly, ¡°Remember, rules are defined by the <b>host</b>. In this case, the Weiss family has the prerogative of setting their own rules at their auction.


    ¡°But


    Jaiden cut off Finley, ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s take Mr. Jaggernaut Senior¡¯s advice and bid for everyberb¡±


    An old man sat in the front seat of Box No. 7, surrounded by three males and two females.


    Scanning the situation in the hall, he narrowed his eyes in an imposing manner. ¡°Are you confident in winning the bid for all four herbs?!!


    <b>¡°</b><b>Grandpa</b>, are we going to follow the rules of the Weiss family? That will mean quadrupling the funds we spend in the auction,¡± the young man seated beside him questioned.


    Taking a sip of tea, the old man replied grimly, ¡°We <b>have </b>to do as the Romans do on the Weiss family¡¯s turt. The Hidden <b>Families </b>will need to make sacrifices <b>for </b>a chance to present ourselves <b>again </b>in society.


    ¡°This is not the right time to make ourselves enemies of the Four Great Families, Quadrupling our spending is still better than losing the Redushil to other families.¡±


    ¡°But I fear we might not have enough funds,¡± another young man to his left spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve been prodding around. The Reeves, the Aurums, the Mckees, and the Lopezes are all here. The Four Great Families of Bridgeport are in attendance as well


    ¡°I¡¯d be less concerned if we were topete against one family, but if the four families decide to join hands, we¡¯ll be no match for them.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Get our family to gather all our avable funds. Our priority is winning the bid for the Redushil,¡± the old manmanded with a stem look. The others in the box exchanged Inoks but ultimately said nothing

 Chapter 219

    Chapter <b>219</b>


    After themotion, the auction kicked off smoothly.


    The Weiss family might not be one of the Four Great Families of Bridgeport, but the disgruntled Hidden Families had no choice but to follow the rulesid down by Layton.


    I want to get into trouble with Alhos


    After all, a member of Alchos was in charge of the security. No one from the Hidden Families or the Four <b>Great </b>Families would want to


    The first item on auction was a pair of limited edition earrings designed by Gabriel King so rare that it was the only one of its <b>kind </b>in the world.


    The Aurum family <b>had </b>offered the earrings up for auction at <b>a </b>starting price of ten grand


    ¡°Filty grand!¡± Right after the earrings were up for auction, Ynda <b>eagerly </b>raised her paddle and increased the bid by fivefold.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Lily turned her attention to Ynda¡¯s box with an unreadable look in her eyes. The jewelry <b>designed </b>by Gabriel King had always been coveted by richdies, evident in the fifty- grand bid for the earrings.


    in the earrings.


    in each round, Ynda would increase the bidding price by 50 grand, showing her determination to win


    However, Ynda was surprised and irked when other bidderspeted against her for a mere pair of earrings. <b>In </b>the heat of the moment, she yelled, ¡°Six hundred grand!¡±


    Leaning against the stairs, she yelled into the hall, ¡°I¡¯m from the Albott family, and I have set my eyes on the earrings, Who else would like to bid against me?¡±


    Ynda was practically fuming. She had not wanted to pressure herpetition with her social status, but she couldn¡¯t believe that the other bidders had pushed the price up to 500 grand for a pair of earrings that could have been won with a hundred grand¨Ca mindblowing increase.


    The earrings might be limited edition, but they retalled at 300 grand. Ynda would never <b>have </b>put in a bid of 600 grand for the item had it not been for its exclusivity and the fact that she had longed for it


    After Ynda threatened the other bidders, no one dared bid against her out of respect for the Albotts.


    Ynda lifted her chin smugly and yelled at the auctioneer, ¡°Since no one is putting in a bid, please seal the deal.¡±


    The auctioneer, who had nned to encourage the bidding war, had no choice but to hit the <b>gavel </b>¡°six hundred grand going once¡­ Going twice..¡±


    The auctioneer <b>was </b>about to hit the gavel when a frigid voice echoed from Box No. 1. <b>¡°</b>Seven hundred grand.¡±


    All eyes were on Box No.1, and chatter ensued,


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t she something? How dare she go against the Alborts<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Anyway, she must be some important figure if she¡¯s in Box No. 1. I guess the Albotts have finally met their match.¡±


    t in <b>a </b>bid of 700 grand?¡±


    ¡°The <bdy </b>in Box No. 1 has been quiet all this while, which I assumed to be ack of interest in the earrings. Why did she suddenly put in a


    ¡°Are you <b>a </b><b>fool</b>? She¡¯s clearly finding <b>trouble </b>with Ynda Albott!¡±


    <b>Ynda¡¯s </b>exquisite features contacted when she overheard the gossip in the hall. She turned around and happened to witness Lily leaving Box No. 1. Ynda could not hold back her anger. She bellowed, ¡°Lily Brooks, are you seriously going to make things difficult for me?


    Arching a brow provocatively, Lily slid a <b>hand </b>into her pocket. ¡°Can¡¯t I bid for the items I like?


    Meanwhile, Shaun cast a look at <b>Loid</b>. ¡°Since when has Lily developed an interest in jewelry?¡±


    Lilly had never beendylike, preferring to dress up like <b>a </b>man. Therefore, Shaun was surprised by her interest in a pair of earrings. It felt rather <b>odd</b>. Loid checked out Lily, who stood outside the box like a ruffian. It amused him.


    Smiling, he approached Lily and put an arm around her waist. He <b>said </b>to her warmly. ¡°Put in a bid for anything you want. Is 20 million dors enough?¡±


    His remark dropped a bomb on the participants in the hall. Women, in particr, were swooning at him. ¡°Gosh! Who is that? He dropped 20 million dors just to buy a pair of wantings for his girlfriend!¡±


    ¡°He seems to be Land Laler of the Laurier family. The woman beside him should be his fianc¨¦e. Yesterday, I heard that Mr. Later is back in town, but I didn¡¯t expect him to attend the auction and disy vach generosity. I¡¯m so vious


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m dying of envy

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    Shaun looked <b>at </b>Loid <b>and </b>Lily. Then, he looked at Daniel. ¡°What is this couple doing? I thought they were bidding for the Redushil. Why would they bid 20 million dors on this Item instead?¡±


    Meanwhile, Daniel nced at Shaun contemptuously. ¡°Shaun, your emotional intelligence is too low.¡±


    After hearing that, Shaun <b>didn¡¯t </b>know what to say. He thought, ¡°Is my emotional intelligence really that low?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that Ms. Brooks is jealous? Daniel stood up and paned Shaun¡¯s shoulder. He continued wisely, ¡°Since she¡¯s jealous, Mr. Laurier has to buy her things to cate her.


    ¡°Wow! How do you know that she¡¯s jealous?¡± In the meantime, Shaun was starting to <b>doubt </b>himself.


    Earlier on, Lily looked as if she was about to fight someone. Did she really look jealous?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said that your emotional intelligence is too low! Then, Daniel walked toward Loid and Lily and stood behind them.


    He <b>had </b>to protect them at all times


    Meanwhile, Ynda was extremely angry because of Loid. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, ¡°Lo, we¡¯re childhood friends. Why can¡¯t you give me those earrings?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my fianc¨¦e likes them. So, I can¡¯t give them to you,¡± Loid replied indifferently.


    Ynda fell silent.


    She thought, ¡°nce? What nced! I¡¯m so enraged! What¡¯s so good about Lily anyway? Why does to cherish her so much?


    She didn¡¯t mind giving the earrings to others. However<b>, </b><b>she </b>couldn¡¯t give them to Lily!This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    s, what other choice did she have?


    Her family nned to bid for the Redushil, so they didn¡¯t have enough money <b>to </b>bid for those earrings.


    ¡°A million dors!¡±


    Just then, a cold voice rang out.


    Everyone was stunned.


    ¡°A million dors for a pair of earrings? Is she crazy?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? It seems that the Albotts are going to fight with the Lauriers <b>soon</b>.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concem us. Let us watch themotion at the side.¡±


    When Ynda turned around<b>, </b><b>she </b><b>saw </b>Joanne approaching her coldly


    Ynda stared at Joanne in shock. ¡°Mom, why are you doing this?¡±


    On the other hand, Joanne patted her head and smiled. ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>going to be 18 years old soon. I must buy the earrings for you as aing¨Cof¨Cage present no matter what.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom. Actually, I don¡¯t like them that much. Ynda <b>felt </b>a little guilty for letting her emotions control her.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Meanwhile, Joanne pulled her back. After that, she looked around the hall. Yet, she didn¡¯t bother ncing at Loid or Lily. Joanne had to buy those earrings this


    Lime.


    **Two million dors,¡±


    s.¡± Lily dered calmly.


    ¡°Three million <b>dors</b>,¡± Joanne replied.


    The auction ball became very quiet as the price grew higher.


    Meanwhile, everybody in the private room came out. All of them stared at Lily.


    Jaiden observed Lily<b>, </b>looking very interested. He smirked. ¡°She¡¯s intriguing! It¡¯s no wonder why Loid fell for her.¡±

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    Jeanne and Lily kept bidding up the price.


    The current bid was eight million dors.


    ¡°Ten million dors!¡± Joanne was a little frustrated, so she swiftly offered an additional two million dors.


    Meanwhile, Lily tilted her head and smiled yfully at her. ¡°Ten million dors? Forget it, that¡¯s too expensive. Tcan¡¯t afford it!


    Then, Joanne frowned and was about to respond when the auctioneer suddenly struck the gavel and dered, ¡°Ten million dors! Going once, going twice, <b>sold</b>! Congrattions, the earrings have been sold!¡±


    Joanne could only stare at Lily angrily. ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡±


    In the meantime, Lily raised her head calmly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to snatch it away from me on purpose anyway?


    <b>¡°</b>You¡± <b>Joanne¡¯s </b>face turned pale and she <b>chatched </b>her chest.


    Once the auctioneer passed the earrings to Joanne, everyone else returned to their senses. All of them had interesting reactions.


    ¡°This is definitely the most expensive earrings this year.¡±


    ¡°It was <b>a </b>fierce battle between the two women.¡±


    ¡°Have they gone <b>mad</b>?¡±


    It was foolish to spend ten million dors on a pair of earrings.


    After that, the auction continued.


    The second item was a curatedndscape painting from the Levensons that was sold for 500 grand.


    The third item was a de of grass.


    Amotion erupted once it was presented to everyone. The people in the box sears also walked out to see it. After staring at that de of grass, they silently returned to their box


    Meanwhile, <b>in </b>Box No. 2, Augustus stroked his beard and contemted deeply.


    Jaiden didn¡¯t disturb him and drank his tea instead. After a brief pause, he asked, ¡°What is it, Mr. Jaggemast Senior? Is that Redushil?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°It should be Redushil Augustus thought about its appearance and said, ¡°its root looks exactly like a Redushil¡¯s, and the shape of its leat is very simr as well.¡±


    Then, Finley Castor asked doubtfully, ¡°Will the Weisses really auction off the real Redushill at this moment?


    Augustus hesitated for a while. ¡°Perhaps the Weisses want to catch us off¨Cguard. Layton knows that all of us wouldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d auction off the real Redushil first, so he¡¯s doing <b>it </b>at the beginning¡±


    Jaiden nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Jagermaur Senior.¡±


    ¡°However, we should be careful. Let¡¯s observe the other families first. If we can recognize the Redshil, the other families have probably taken note of it <b>too</b>. If all of them bid for it, we should do so too,¡± Augustus replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say, Mr. Jaggernaut Senior.¡± After sipping his tea, Jaiden walked out of the box.


    He turned to look at Box No. 1 and narrowed his eyes.


    At the same time, in Box No. 1, Lily was ying a game on <b>her </b>phone. When she heard the auctioneer¡¯s words, she nced at the de of grass in the hall briefly. After that, she lowered her gaze and continued ying her game.


    On the other hand, Shaun was anxious. He asked, ¡°Lily, is that Redushil? If it really is Redushil, we must bid for it.¡±


    ¡°Nope, it isn¡¯t,<b>¡± </b>Lily replied indifferently.


    Shaun paused. ¡°Are you certain about that?¡±


    In the meantime, Loid was calmly watching Lily y her game. He even gave her some advice.


    ¡°That¡¯s Yollowall. It looks very simr to Redushil and is quite useful. If it¡¯s made into a pill, it can extend a person¡¯s lifespan by three years!¡± Lily replied unhurriedly.


    Shaun and Daniel were stunned. ¡°Three years?¡±


    Meanwhile, Lold was also a little surprised. He looked at the Yollowall thoughtfully.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Lily remained unbothered.


    ¡°Then we have to get it. You can turn it <b>into </b>a pill. Wouldn¡¯t it be popr among the nobles at Bridgeport since it can extend their lifespan by three years?¡± shaan was a little apitated.


    The nobles in powerful familles valued their lives a lot. The heads of those families were old and desperate to live a few more years. They would try various methods to extend their lifespan. Even if the pill only allowed them to live for one more <b>month</b>, those nobles would spend a lot of money on it.


    Lily would earn a lot if she made a pill that extended one¡¯s lifespan for three years!


    Lily looked at Shaun as if she were staring at an idiot. ¡°I have a lot of pills like that. If you want them, I can sell them to you at a discount. I¡¯ll charge you ten grand a pill¡± Both Shaun and Daniel were stunned speechless.


    Meanwhile, Loid looked at her and smiled. ¡°I want a pill. How much will <b>it </b>cost, Reese?¡±


    Lily put her phone down and thought for a while. I¡¯ll let you have it for free!


    After hearing that, Shaun <b>and </b>Daniel were a little upset.


    That public disy of affection was unexpected.


    Shaun controlled his emotions and asked, ¡°Is Yollowsill <b>easy </b>to obtain?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Herb Haven sells them.¡± Once her game ended, Lily didn¡¯t feel like ying another round. So, she kept her phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing those nbbles in Bridgeport won¡¯t bid for it. However, since Yollowall can be easily obtained, won¡¯t many people make medicine from it? Will someone be able to make an immortality pill from it?¡± shaun asked regretfully.


    If others bid for the Yollowail, their <b>chances </b>of getting Redushil would be higher


    On the other hand<b>, </b>Lily cracked open some peanuts with her teeth. ¡°Only those skilled in acupuncture would recognize Yollowall. Besides, even if they recognize the nt, none of them will be able to make a pill to extend one¡¯s lifespan.¡±


    ¡°Why?<b>¡± </b>shaun was very curious,


    Lily ate the peanuts and said, ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the only one who knows how to make such pills¡±


    Then, Shaun paused for a while and remembered that Lily was Shadowbane, the miracle¨Cworking doctor. He gave her a thumbs¨Cup. ¡°You¡¯re impressive!¡±


    Meanwhile, Lily simply rolled her eyes in response.


    She rarely ate snacks and was just eating those pranuts leisurely. Since they tasted delicious, she couldn¡¯t stop eating them


    Suddenly, Load took away the te of peanuts. Lily stopped and stared at him. He slowly removed <b>the </b>shells from those peanuts and ced them in her hand.


    Lily smirked silently and calmly ate the peanuts that Loid gave her.


    Just then, the auctioneer said, ¡°This is the first medicinal herb that has appeared today. ording to our cules, its name will not be revealed at the moment. Please observe it closely before bidding for it. The starting bid is a million dors.¡±


    Those who were still hesitating earlier on couldn¡¯t control themselves any longer. They started bidding for it furiously.


    ¡°Five million dors!


    ¡°Sor million dors<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°Ten million dors!¡±


    Lily rubbed her temples after hearing those voices. ¡®Why are they so relentless?¡±


    Initially, she thought that the Redushil could be sold to her for <b>20 </b>million dors. Yet, it seemed that 70 million dors was insignificant


    Lold threw the peanut shells into the bin and poured a cup of warm water for Lily. He exined slowly, ¡°It was rumored that the starting bid for the Redushil was a million dors. Since Vollowall looks a lot like Redushil, they certainly fight for it.


    ¡°The Hidden Families who came today prepared billions of dors for the auction,¡±


    Upon hearing that, Uly fell silent.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    The bid price rose to


    D50 million dors.


    A few smaller families gave up at that point. Not many families were able to splurge that much money. In fact, 80 million dors was a substantial amount for the Four Great


    Familles.


    The Quinns, the Reeves, the McKees, and the Albotts were the only families who were still fighting for the Yollowall.


    After the bid price rose to 80 million dors, the fighting wasn¡¯t as fierce. The Hidden Families had to consider the finances that they had, so they only raised the price by a million dors each time.


    Meanwhile, in Box No. 2, Jaiden suddenly <b>dered</b>, ¡°Stop bidding for it, Finley ¡±


    Finley paused. ¡°Why, Mr. Quinn?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that 1 Loid isn¡¯t bidding f


    for this?¡± Jaiden replied calmly and leaned against his chair.


    Then, Finley looked at Box No. 1 and realized that all was quiet there. He said carelessly, ¡°So what? He¡¯s probably too dumb to recognize Redushil. Anyway, they might not be able to afford it¡±


    On the other hand, Jaiden shook his head seriously. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! Loid has never done anything recklessly. Something is off.¡±


    Augustus thought for a while and asked, ¡°Mr. Quinn, are you saying that the herb in the auction hall isn¡¯t Redush!?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jaiden stood up and walked <b>toward </b>the window. He looked at the scene outside and answered, ¡°Everyone came here to bid for the Redushil today. It doesn¡¯t make sense if Loid only came here for a date. Besides, he isn¡¯t skilled in medicine, but he didn¡¯t bring <b>Nell </b>with him.¡±


    ¡°Would Loid know what Redush looks like?¡± Augustus looked at the Yollowall in the hall carefully. It really looked like Redushil


    ¡°Maybe. However, the possibility of that is small. Jalden looked stem. ¡°The Weisses have been cultivating Redushil for many years. Though many people tried to steal them, they have never seeded. As such, few people know what Redushil looks Eke. Laid wouldn¡¯t recognize L


    After that, Jaiden suddenly came to a realization. His expression turned serious. ¡°So, that must be the reason.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason, Mr. Quinn? Augustus asked.


    ¡°It must be because of Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡± Jaiden smiled meaningfully. ¡°I¡¯ve made a miscalction Lily must have hidden her identity from us.¡±


    Then, Finley hurriedly eximed, ¡°I followed your instructions and stalked her every day, but I didn¡¯t discover anything wrong with her!¡±


    Jaidenughed coldly. ¡°You were discovered by her.¡±


    After that, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Lily is a clever person.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Finley looked outside. The bid price is at a hundred million dors. Are we still going to bid for <b>it</b>?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± Jaiden returned to his seat and sipped his tea. He smirked. ¡°Observe Loid. We¡¯ll only bid if he starts bidding. Let the others fight instead. If there are only two of us fighting for an item, we¡¯ll have a higher chance of winning the bid¡±


    Meanwhile, the auction was in fall swing.


    In the end, the Yollowall was sold to the Mckees for 120 million dors


    The auctioneer continued auctioning off other items.


    Since a few families knew that they couldn¡¯t win against the Hidden Families <b>and </b>the Four Great Families, they only bought less valuable items.


    After that, the auctioneer brought out the second herb.


    Everyone seemed to stare at the box seats upstairs. Soon after, the Four Great Families and the Hidden Families returned to their own boxes. They weren¡¯t interested in the herb.


    In the meantime, Lily was a little tired. Shey in Loid¡¯s armszily.


    Once she looked <b>up</b><b>, </b>she saw the herb in the hall. Then, her expression changed <b>as </b>she swiftly walked out of the box.


    Loid, Shaun, and Daniel were stunned by her abrupt gesture.


    After that, Loid reacted and walked toward Lily. He whispered, ¡°Is this Redushil?


    ¡°No.¡± Lily stared <b>at </b>the herb sterly


    Chapter 224

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Shaun trailed after the couple and asked unhappily, ¡°If it isn¡¯t Redushil, then why are you so agitated?


    Just then, the auctioneer announced, ¡°The second herb today has a starting bid of five grand-


    ¡°Ten grand!¡±


    Lily Interrupted the auctioneer


    Meanwhile, the Hidden Families snickered disdainfully after hearing that


    The herb didn¡¯t look like Redushil at all. Besides, the starting bid was five grand, so it wasn¡¯t an impressive item.


    No one would fight with her for it. Yet, Lily offered a bid of ten grand


    She was a fool


    Unexpectedly, someone from Box No. 2 said, ¡°A hundred grand!¡±


    Then, Jaiden walked out of his box and smiled calmly at Loid and Lily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want this item as well. Since you have so much money, why don¡¯t you fight with me for it, Mr. Laurier?


    Meanwhile, Lily turned and looked at Jaiden viciously,


    Once he saw that, Jaiden grew more confident


    On the other hand, Loid noticed the change in Lily¡¯s expression. He held her hand and patted her shoulder. He looked at Jaiden calmly, ¡°Since you want to fight with me, quinn, let¡¯s do so. However, you can¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Before Jaiden could reply, Loid immediately announced, ¡°Tive hundred grand


    ¡°A million <b>dors</b>.¡±


    Soon after, a herb with a starting bid of <b>five </b>grand was worth 30 milion dors.


    In the meantime, Augustus couldn¡¯t take it. He approached Jaiden and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be misled by them, Mr. Quinn. This herb isn¡¯t Redushil. I¡¯m extremely certain of it.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Jaiden didn¡¯t believe that Lily would want this herb for no reason, and <b>he </b>trusted his own decision. ¡°Mr. Jaggernaut Senior, you¡¯re old so you might have be short¨Csighted. I have <b>to </b>buy this herb.¡±


    Though Augustus wanted to continue speaking, Jaiden simply pushed him away and continued bidding, ¡°A hundred million dors!¡±


    ¡°Two hundred million dors,¡± Laid replied unhurriedly.


    Everyone else watched the fight between Leid and Jalden.


    Soon after, the bid rose to 900 million dors


    Shaun and Daniel were panicking.


    <b>In </b>the end, <b>Shaun </b>couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He pulled Lold to one side and said, ¡°Mr. Laurier, Lily said that this isn¡¯t Redushil. Why are you fighting with Jaidenor¡¯s nine billion dors. How are we going to buy Redushil once it appears<b>?</b>¡±


    Meanwhile, Loid looked at Lily. She was frowning unhappily.


    Loid looked away. ¡°But she wants it.¡±


    ¡°BU


    Before Shaun could say anything, Loid dered, ¡°A billion dors!¡±


    ¡°Two billion dors,¡± Jaiden shot back fearlessly.


    ¡°Fifty <b>billion </b>dors!¡± someone suddenly said. Everyone else fell silent.


    Everybody looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lily. She stuck her hands in her pockets indifferently.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    Lold and Jaiden paused. Jaiden looked at Lily in disbelief.


    Meanwhile, everyone in the box seats walked out and stared at Loid and Uly weirdly,


    Loid rubbed his temples. After a while, he said, ¡°Daniel.¡±


    On the other hand, Daniel snapped back to reality after hearing his name. He approached <b>Loid </b>and replied, ¡°Mr. Laurier.¡±


    ¡°Transfer all the money that I have from my assets here.¡± Loid looked at Lily and sighed.


    Fifty billion dors¡­ He didn¡¯t know if he had that much money.


    Daniel fell silent for a while before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll do that immediately.¡±


    Everyone in the auction hall was silent. The auctioneer almost forgot what he wanted to say next. He knew that the herb was only worth five thousand dors since it wasn¡¯t Redushil


    He thought, ¡°How much did the price increase?¡±


    ¡°You..¡± <b>Loid </b>looked at Lily speechlessly,


    He thought that he had sufficient funds to bid for the herb, but Lily suddenly raised the bid much higher.


    What was she <b>doing</b>?


    ¡°Are you going to continue bidding? If you aren¡¯t bidding for it, leave!¡± Lily looked very impatient.


    Upon seeing that, Loid knew that she was irritated.


    At first, she could have bought the item for ten grand. However, she had to spend fittybition dors in the end. As such, she was very angry


    Just then, the auctioneer snapped out of his daze and swiftly hit the gavel.


    When the employees passed the herb to Lily, she took out her own credit card and paid for it


    Seeing this, Loid was impressed! It seemed he did not live up to expectations as her fianc¨¦ again.


    Once they returned to their box, he looked at Lily unhappily: ¡°Reese, why can¡¯t you give me a chance to prove myself?¡±


    Lily simply <b>shrugged</b>. ¡°I have enough money to pay for it.¡±


    re Lily


    yassumed that she had tens of millions of dors. After earning a bit more money, she thought that her personal


    She had never cared much about her own finances before. assets were around 200 million dors. 1


    So, she had to depend on Loid to buy Redushil


    However, Elijah had just sent her a message informing her that the money from all the properties from the underground forces in Aston and Lagersfield City had been transferred to her. The total amount was 60 billion dors. So, she recklessly offered so billion dors for the herb.


    <b>150b</b>


    However, the herb was worth much more than <b>50 </b>billion dors to her.


    In the meantime, Loid remained silent


    shaun stared at the herb in Lily¡¯s hand and didn¡¯t know what to say. After a long pause, he stammered, ¡°What is this?<b>¡±</b>


    Lily bought a herb for 50 billion dors.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Was <b>she </b>stupid<b>?</b>


    On the other <b>hand</b>, Lily carefully kept the herb. ¡°It¡¯s good stuff.¡±


    She was very carefree most of the time, and told <b>had </b>never seen her put in a lot of effort for anything before. As such<b>, </b>he was surprised to see her guard the herb so carefully. Yet, he kept quiet. He <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>probe further if Lily <b>didn¡¯t </b>tell him more


    On the other <b>hand</b>, Shaun noticed that Lilly didn¡¯t say anything else, so he stopped asking questions.


    The auction continued. This time, the auctioneer took out another herb. Its starting bid was a hundred dors. This was the item with the lowest starting bid so far.


    After some wealthy families saw what the herb looked like, they thought that it wasn¡¯t Redushil, so they returned to their boxes.


    At the same time, a few smaller families thought the herb was useless, so they didn¡¯t bid for it either.


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time i is <b>Running </b>Out!


    Chapter 226

 Chapter 226

    Chapter <b>226</b>


    Lily was the only person bidding for the herb <b>again</b>. This time, she offered 200 dors.


    Meanwhile<b>, </b><b>Jaiden </b>was furious because of the previous round, so he didn¡¯t bid for the herb. He thought that Lily had already bought Redushil and was intentionally trying to provoke him.


    In the end, the herb was sold to Lily for 200 dors.


    Shaun and Daniel didn¡¯t understand what Lily was trying to do. However, as Daniel was a reserved man, he didn¡¯t ask any questions despite his confusion.


    On the other hand, Shaun couldn¡¯t control himself and asked, ¡°Lily, what¡¯s that? It¡¯s 200 dors, so it probably isn¡¯t <b>a </b>valuable herb!TM


    Lily didn¡¯t reply. Then, Loid and Daniel looked at <b>Shan </b>disdainfully.


    As such, Shaun was a little annoyed. ¡°Can you two stop looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? How valuable can something that costs 200 dors be?¡±


    Daniel nced at him and replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what Ms. Brooks is like? Why would she buy something carelessly?¡±


    Meanwhile, Loid didn¡¯t even bother looking at him.


    Shaun was upset the more he thought about it. ¡°Lily, what is it?¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Redushill¡± Lily stored the Redushil in a small box and ced it in her bag, she had gotten what she wanted. <b>So</b>, Lily wasn¡¯t that angry anymore and looked happier.


    Lold, Shaun, and Daniel were stunned speechless. All of them gave her a thumbs¨Cup.


    <b>Who </b>would expect the coveted Redushil to be sold to Lily for 200 dors? If everyone knew the truth, they would have been furious


    The auction continued, and the auctioneer took out thest <b>item</b>. All the wealthy families started bidding for it frantically. It was thest item. Besides, it looked like Redushil. So, everyone wanted it.


    Lily looked outside and stood up. She <b>dered</b><b>, </b>¡°Twenty <b>billion </b>dors!¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>Fuck</b>! Lily, have you gone mad?¡± Shaun hurriedly approached her. ¡°You¡¯ve already spent fiftybillion dors. Are you going to continue bidding?¡±


    On the other hand, Lily looked at him and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s Redshil. I have to hid for it¡±


    Her voice could be heard by those in the other boxes.


    ¡°Redushil? Haven¡¯t you.¡± Then, Shaun stopped <b>talking</b>. He immediately said, <b>¡°</b>So, you bought the wrong one by mistake. Are you able to afford this?¡±


    ¡°oh, he can afford it.¡± Lily raised her voice and pointed at Loid.


    After hearing that, Loidughed. ¡°Yes, you can bid for it. I can afford it.¡±


    Shaun roared angrily, ¡°You two have gone mad!¡±


    Then, he entered the box and startedughing uncontrobly.


    Jaiden heard their conversation and marrowed his eyes as he dered, ¡°25 billion dors.¡±


    *30 billion dors,¡± the Reeves sand


    ¡°3 billion dors,¡± the Alborts shot back


    ¡°so billion dors,¡± Ully announced.


    When Joanne heard that, she became really upset. Ultimately, she could only return to her boo


    Her family could only afford five billion dors.


    Meanwhile, the Reeves were still fighting for the herb and called 51 billion dors for it. However, after Jaiden bid 60 billion dors for it, they could only give up.


    So, only Lily and Jaiden were left to bid for the herb


    Though Lily looked very rxed, falden was very anxious.


    *Seventy billion dors,¡± Lily dered calmly.


    Jaiden looked at her <b>coldly </b>and <b>said</b>, ¡°Eighty billion dors.¡±


    After that, Lily turned and smiled at him. ¡°I can¡¯t afford it. I¡¯ll let you have the herbs¡±


    Then, she returned to her own box.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227


    When Jaiden looked at Lily¡¯s retreating figure, he felt that something was amiss.


    Just then, a staff member gave him the item he bid for. After paying for it, he immediately told Augustus, ¡°Something¡¯s <b>off</b>, Mr. Jaggernaut Senior. We must return home Immediately. We need to check whether this herb is Redush or not,¡±


    Meanwhile, Augustus sat down dejectedly. He <b>sighed</b>. ¡°There¡¯s no need to check it. This isn¡¯t Redashil¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Finley¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°How could <b>that </b>be? We bought this for 80 billion <b>dors</b>!¡±


    At the same time, Jalden also looked upset. He looked at Augustus and asked, ¡°Are you sure <b>of </b>it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sure that this isn¡¯t Redushil.¡± Augustus shook his head, ¡°I warned you before that Lily might have been tricking you. But you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    Earlier on, when falden was fighting against Lily, Augustus noticed that something was <b>off</b>, so he urged Jaiden to stop bidding.


    s<b>, </b>Jaiden was provoked by Lily<b>, </b><b>so </b>he didn¡¯t listen to the advice.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the real Redushil?¡± Jaiden looked grim


    ¡°D¡¯s with Lily.¡± Augustus stroked his beard and seemed deep in thought


    Then, Jaiden narrowed his eyes. ¡°<b>Was </b>it the one that she bid 500 billion dors for?¡±


    After thinking about it, Augustus replied, ¡°No. Although <b>I </b><b>can¡¯t </b>tell what that <b>herb </b>is, it definitely isn¡¯t Redushil. I just don¡¯t know why Lily bid soo billion dors for st.¡±


    <b>Jaiden </b>looked even gloomier as he stood up. He scanned his surroundings <b>coldly</b>. ¡°<b>So</b>, is the Redushil the herb that Lily paid 200 dors for?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes.¡± Augustus nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain that the McKees didn¡¯t buy the Redshil. Since the first herb that Lily fought with you for isn¡¯t the Redushil and if we exclude the third herb, it¡¯s highly likely that Lily bought the Redushil for 200 dors<b>.¡±</b>


    He sounded a little helpless.


    Jaiden was calm and careful most of the time. Besides, he alwayspleted <b>his </b>tasks well. However, this time¡­


    He spent so billion dors but couldn¡¯t obtain the Redushil How was he going to exin himself to his familyter on?


    Jaiden leaned against his chair silently and closed his eyes.


    Meanwhile, Augustus and Finley kept quiet..


    After a moment, Jaiden stood up and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Since I can¡¯t get it through legal means, we¡¯ll have to take it forcefully. Finley, get all our subordinates here. Once they leave this ce, shoot them!¡±


    He had to get the Redushil no matter what..


    In Box No. 1, Shaun leaned forward and patted Lily¡¯s shoulder. He burst intoughter. ¡°That was fucking great! Jaiden must be furious now.¡±


    Lily simply nced at him and said, ¡°You should start nning what you <b>should </b>do when others try to steal the Redshilter on!¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Hearing that, Shaun paused. He stood up unhappily. ¡°Fuck! I forgot about that¡±


    He walked out while cursing, ¡°I¡¯ll kill the fucker who tries to steal the Redushi¡±


    In the meantime, Daniel stayed behind because he had to protect Load and Lily. However, these two people didn¡¯t need his help


    Once the auction ended, Layton hurriedly entered the box just as Lily and Loid were about to leave.


    He passed <b>a </b>card to Lily and greeted her politely, ¡°Ms. Brooks, there¡¯s fiftybillion dors in this card. Please ept it.¡± Lily raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this for

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    The first herb that you bought is worthless. <b>I¡¯m </b>giving you this sum of money of my own ord. I hope you¡¯ll ept it,¡± Layton said.


    <b>¡°</b>Since I got it at the auction, we should adhere to the rules here.¡± Lily knew what Layton wanted, so she just looked at him coldly.


    ¡°Well,¡± <b>Layton </b>fell silent for a while. Then, he said, ¡°Ms. Brooks, I don¡¯t have any hidden intentions. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re skilled enough to recognize <b>the </b>Stargaza. Though it¡¯s cheap, it¡¯s more valuable than Redshil. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    <b>ily </b>smirked and ced her hands in her pockets. She looked at Layton yfully and raised an eyebrow, motioning him to continue taking


    ¡®My father collects Stargazas. There are only two of its kind in the world, one of which belongs to my father. The other Stargaza belongs to a mysterious expert. That person is my father¡¯s good friend, but he disappeared recently. My father hasn¡¯t been able to contact him since then.¡±


    Layton stopped talking at this point and observed Lily. He noticed that she looked a little grim.


    After keeping quiet for a while, he continued, ¡°Before the auction started, my father changed his mind and told me to auction off the Stargaza. If someone is willing to risk all to


    id for it, I¡¯ll have to give them a refund at the end of the auction. He also <b>wants </b>to meet you.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t want to meet him, what will you do?¡± Lily lowered her head and pulled her cap down. Though Layton couldn¡¯t see her eyes, he sensed the intimidating airing from


    her


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Layton smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to meet him if you don¡¯t want to. But I hope that <b>you¡¯ll </b>ept this money.¡±


    Immediately after, he said, ¡°My father <b>is </b>called gillian Weiss.¡±


    <b>Suddenly</b>, Lily looked up and stared at Layton. It was hard to figure out what she was thinking from her expression.


    She <b>looked </b>away after a while and then turned to leave. Before she left, she replied, ¡°Transfer the money to me. I¡¯ll meet him tomorrow at 10:00 am.


    After <b>that</b>, she walked away.


    Once she arrived at the exit of the building, her phone rang. When she recognized the phone number, <b>she </b>rubbed her temples helplessly.


    She told Loid, ¡°Let me take this call.¡±


    Then, she walked away and turned on her voice changer. <b>¡°</b><b>What </b><b>do </b>you want<b>?</b>


    ¡°I¡¯m at the Grand Emperor Hotel too. Can we meet each other now?¡± Elliot asked. His voice was filled with anticipation.


    Lily turned to look at Loid and fell silent for a while. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me. Let¡¯s meet another time.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± Elliot continued after a pause, ¡°Which family are you from?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lily frowned.


    ¡°A few Hidden Families were bidding furiously for the Redushil today. Apart from the Lauckers, none of the Four Great Families have the budget to bid for it,¡± Elliot said. ¡°The Quinns, the Lauriers, and the Mckees bought a few herbs<b>. </b><b>So</b>, <b>which </b><b>family </b>are you <b>from</b>?¡±


    Since he hadn¡¯t met Lily before, Elliot didn¡¯t know her appearance or gender,


    However, he realized that she was from one of the three families after the auction today.


    ¡°Well.. I¡¯m from the Brook family,¡± Lily mumbled.


    Eliot didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to reveal it, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll meet in the <b>future </b>anyway. But you must be careful. It¡¯s dangerous outside of the hotel. If something bad happens, feel free to <b>call </b>me.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t probe further.


    Lily agreed and hang upThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Loid looked at Lily¡¯s back view while smoking his cigarette. He felt a litle unhappy because she seemed to be keeping secrets. That wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    As Lily walked toward Lold, someone suddenly approached her. ¡°Hug me<b>, </b><b>LJM</b>¡±


    The voice was seductive and made her shudder

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Lily could react, someone hugged her. She looked up, only to see Duncan¡¯s annoying face.


    ¡°You¡¯re a heartless person. You didn¡¯t tell me you were in Bridgeport, and when I asked you which box you were in, you ignored my message. Lil, you¡¯ve changed¡­¡± Then, Duncan slung an arm around Lily carelessly.


    Seeing that, Loid looked upset. He grabbed Duncan and pushed him away intimidatingly. Loid said coldly. ¡°Go away!¡±


    Duncan was very angry after being pushed away by Loid. ¡°Fuck! Are you trying to pick a fight with i


    Loid gave him a look. He tried to kick Duncan, but Duncan dodged swiftly. Tension immediately filled the air. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Subsequently, Duncan lunged at Loid.


    Seeing this, Lily frowned in exasperation.


    When Daniel saw Loid and Duncan fighting, he frowned as well. ¡°Ms. Brooks, should I stop them?¡±


    Since he was Loid¡¯s subordinate, Daniel would help him. However, he wasn¡¯t a fool Duncan seemed to be close friends with Lily. If Daniel helped Loid, Lily might be unhappy It wouldn¡¯t make the situation better.


    Lily looked at Loid and Duncan coldly. ¡°Let them fight¡±


    She understood that Loid didn¡¯t want other men to be close to her. She didn¡¯t know what Duncan was thinking either


    But since they wanted to fight, she¡¯d let them


    ¡°Alright.¡± Daniel stood at one side and watched the fight with Lily


    Two minutester, Duncan was on the losing end. Loid forced him to aer and almost penched him.


    At this moment, Duncan hurriedly dodged and said, ¡°Stop! Loid, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    All the while, Lily had been staring at Duncan in silence.


    Loid stopped fighting and adjusted his clothes before ncing at Duncan calmly. ¡°When did you return?¡±


    ¡°I returned yesterday.¡± Duncan adjusted his own clothes casually.


    Lold replied


    ¡°How long are you staying here for?¡±


    After checking his surroundings, Duncan answered quietly, ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a few days. Don¡¯t let my grandfather find out about this.¡±


    ¡°Did you run away again? Lold frowned.


    ¡°Do you think everyone is like Mr. Laurier Senior? My grandfather is stubborn and insists on making me the heir of our family. I don¡¯t want that, so I ran away, Duncan replied. After that, Loid turned to look at Lily. ¡°When did you two get to know each other?¡°!


    Lily didn¡¯t reply. She just stared at Duncan until he trembled in tear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do anything wrong?¡°¡±


    Lily crossed her arms and gave a small smile. ¡°Why did you call Lold by his name?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hm? Well.. That¡¯s¡­¡± Duncan didn¡¯t dare to look at Lily and coughed sheepishly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you he was my senior before?¡±


    Lily raised an eyebrow and remained silent.


    Laughing fearfully, Duncan said, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you that before, right?¡±


    Lay merely kept quiet, and Duncan fell silent as well.


    ¡°Oh no! She¡¯s angry at me,¡± he thought. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you doing research on him previously? I couldn¡¯t tell you he was my senior, right?¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Lily asked calmly. ¡°The information that you gave me.


    Duncan hurriedly answered, ¡°The information is true! Loid really had heart surgery back then. Well, that was what we told the outsiders. Haha. But the issue isn¡¯t as simple as itseems.


    He seemed a line uncertain.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    1/1


    Duncan didn¡¯t dare to look at Lily.


    ¡°You did your research on me? What?¡± Loid raised an eyebrow coldly and stared at Duncan, who fell silent again.


    It seemed he had offended yet another person!


    Then, heughed awkwardly again. ¡°<b>You </b>can¡¯t me me for that, right<b>? </b>Besides<b>, </b>how would your rtionship be so good if not for me? Loid, if it weren¡¯t for me, how could you have found a genius fianc¨¦e?, if <b>not </b>for me, how could you have <b>found </b>a wealthy fianc¨¦ who spoils you?¡±


    After hearing that, Loid looked less upset. That was true. If Duncan hadn¡¯t looked into him at Lily¡¯s request, they wouldn¡¯t have met.


    Lily was a great woman, so he deserved to be with her.


    On the other hand, Lily grinned. <b>¡°</b><b>So</b>, you¡¯re saying that I should <b>thank </b>you for that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that¡­¡± Duncan leaned forward and replied yfully, ¡°Just treat me to a meal¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Lat my list! Lily clenched her fist and prepared to punch him.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Duncan dodged.


    He <b>didn¡¯t </b>dare to hit her, so he could only dodge her attacks. However, Lily had no intention of stopping, so Duncan could only give up and ept the blow. If she couldn¡¯t vent her anger that day, she¡¯d hold a grudge against him.


    Since Lily looked better now, Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Loid decided for Lily. ¡°Get us a private room at Pce Royale.¡±


    Duncan red at him angrily, ¡°Fine!¡±


    He thought, ¡°Lold is too ruthless! One day, I¡¯ll get back at him.¡±


    Loid and Lily soon left. They boarded the car and headed toward the Laurier residence. However, Daniel suddenly stopped the car after driving for half an hour.


    He looked outside and eximed sternly, ¡°Mr. Laurier and Ms. Brooks, a few fighting experts are blocking our path!¡±


    Twenty armed men dressed in ck were standing outside the car. They blocked the road, looking <b>very </b>serious as they stared at the car.


    ¡°Drive past them!¡± Lily leaned against her seat and closed her eyes calmly.


    <b>Lold </b>hugged Lily and leaned against his seat. He, too, kept quiet and closed his eyes.


    Daniel immediately started the <b>engine </b>again, elerating toward the men in ck Since those men were trained, they dodged swiftly. Someone opened fire, causing a bullet to hit their car tire. As the tire exploded to pieces, the car was forced to stop.


    Loid opened his eyes, looking intimidating. He straightened up and removed Lily¡¯s cap from her head. After that, he whispered, ¡°It seems that we¡¯ll be dyed. Just stay here and


    §Ý§Ö§Õ.


    Then, he covered her face with the cap


    cap again and opened the car door. Daniel followed him out of the vehicle.


    Once the two men left the car, Lily removed her cap and looked outside the car. She supported her chin with one hand.


    At the same time, Loid looked at the men in ck while unbuttoning his sleeves leisurely. He smirked fearsomely, looking like a powerful demon from hell.


    Though the men in ck were experts, they retreated backward in fear because of the terrifying vibe he exuded.


    Looking up, Loid dered, ¡°Tell me which family sent you here!¡±

 Chapter 231

    ?Chapter 231


    The men in ck looked at each other. Then, they nced at Loid warily. All of them were silent.


    Loid narrowed his eyes. "You''re not going to tell me where you''re from? Fine. I won''t leave your corpses intact, then."


    He swiftly vanished in front of them. Before the men in ck could react, all of them copsed to the floor, their limbs torn from their torsos.


    However, they weren''t dead yet. Loid wanted them to bleed to death slowly, so he only tore their limbs off. Like what he said earlier on, their bodies weren''t left intact.


    Meanwhile, Lily watched the scene emotionlessly.


    Loid''s fighting skills were great, and he seemed professionally trained. Though his moves weren''t specifically meant for killing others, he could still ruthlesslymit murder in a sh.


    Lily thought that her own torture methods were ruthless enough. However, they were insignificantpared to Loid. She would at least leave the other party''s body intact.


    Daniel was very excited as he watched Loid.


    He thought, "That''s great! He''s still the same Mr. Laurier that I know. His fighting skills have also improved."


    When Loid prepared to board the car, another group of people suddenly surrounded him. They were armed and dressed in various attires. Seeing this. Daniel''s expression turned serious as he took out his gun.


    Loid put his hands in his pockets and stared at the crowd calmly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    A few men walked over.


    "Loid, since you''re from the Laurier family, we won''t cause any trouble for you so long as you give us the Redushil," someone dered.


    Loid raised an eyebrow. "If you''re capable enough, you can snatch it away from me."


    One of them said. "Think carefully about this. You only have three people on your team, but I have a thousand subordinates. I know you''re impressive. But how can you defeat a thousand armed men by yourself? It''ll be a useless struggle!"


    That man was Putim McKee from the McKee family. After realizing that the herb he bought wasn''t the real Redushil, he decided to snatch it from Loid.


    He only dispatched 300 subordinates for this mission. However, he was stunned when he saw Loid''s fighting skills earlier on.


    Putim didn''t know Loid was so powerful. He could kill 20 people in the blink of an eye.


    Loid was a dangerous man, so he couldn''t afford to mess up. At first, Putin nned to observe the situation quietly, but he noticed that the Reeves and the Colemans were present as well.


    The three families then decided to snatch the Redushil together. They would decide who the herb would be given to after defeating Loid.


    Loid kept quiet. He removed his jacket and opened the car door. Then, he gave the jacket to Lily and said, "Don''t look outside. I''ll be too goryter on."


    Lily smirked. "If both of us attack them at the same time, the scene will be even gorier."


    Loid patted her head and replied affectionately. "Just stay in the car. You don''t have to fight since I''m here."


    With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd. He was so fast that no one could see where he was.


    Seeing the scene change, Putim tensed up. He shouted, "Quick! Open fire! Capture Loid''s fianc¨¦e!"


    Subsequently, a few men rushed toward the car. However, they were stopped by Daniel, who swiftly attacked them. Even though he wasn''t as skilled as Loid, he managed to defeat them quickly.


    When Putim saw that, he told his other subordinates, "Provide backup for them."


    This time, 200 men advanced at Daniel, making him a little worried. Though he could defeat a hundred people in one go, he couldn''t fight against 200 armed men. So, he hid behind the car and told Lily seriously. "Ms. Brooks, stay in the car. This vehicle is bullet-proof."


    Then, he took out his gun and loaded it. He rushed out speedily.


    Soon after, all his bullets were used up. Since the other party had run out of bullets too, they started fighting with their hands.

 Chapter 232

    ?Chapter 232


    Lily became irritated when she saw themotion outside the car.


    Daniel had also been forced into a corner by those men. Lily rolled down the window and said, "Daniel,e here."


    He promptly went to her side. "Yes, Ms. Brooks?"


    Lily jabbed his acupoint with a silver needle and said, "Go on."


    Daniel immediately felt the strength return to his body and lunged at his enemies like a beast. The fight went out of control. Since he was fighting many armed enemies, Daniel was on the losing end.


    However, he became alright after Lily pricked him with her needle. He didn''t feel tired at all, so he was able to fight 200 men alone.


    As such, Lily wasn''t worried for him. But she was a little concerned for Loid.


    She didn''t like to waste time. Whenever she encountered situations like this, she would jab her enemies with silver needles and end the battle quickly.


    Even if Loid hadn''t stepped up, she would''ve been able to defeat 2,000 men easily because she had brought enough silver needles with her.


    Lily wondered if Loid was in a bad mood because he insisted on attacking those men by himself, and he also refused to let her join the fight. As he refused to let her fight, she could only stay in the car and observe Loid.


    In the meantime, since Loid had lost too much energy, he decided to increase his fighting speed. Soon after, there were only 200 men left. Meanwhile, Daniel had sessfully defeated those men who wanted to capture Lily.


    Looking at all this, Putim''s expression turned vicious. He pointed his gun at Loid.


    s, Lily didn''t notice that because she had been looking at Loid instead.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The moment Putin''s bullet was fired, she hurriedly got out of the car, her body turning cold from fear.


    At the same time, Loid noticed Putim''s actions and dodged the bullet.


    Putim opened fire again. Just as Lily prepared to attack him, someone suddenly shot Putim''s right arm. The bullet strayed from its path, and another person joined the fight.


    That person was on Loid''s side.


    When Lily realized who the person was, she narrowed her eyes coldly.


    A whileter, everyone from the Hidden Families was defeated.


    Putim, the Reeves, and the Colemans had lost all their limbs and were bleeding. However, they were still alive.


    Putim stared at the person who helped Loid in shock. "Why did you do that, Mr. Quinn?"


    He didn''t expect Jaiden to appear. In fact, he also didn''t expect Jaiden to help Loid instead of snatching the Redushil.


    Jaiden stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at Putim indifferently. "I''ll kill Loid myself instead of letting you do it. Are you worthy enough to kill him?"


    "But you''re helping him!" Putim roared angrily. "Don''t forget, you''re a member of the Hidden Families too!"


    "You talk too much!" Jaiden shot Putim, ending his life instantly.


    Subsequently, the Colemans and the Reeves were all killed by him. The rest who had lost their limbs were screaming in pain.


    Meanwhile, Loid ignored Jaiden and took his coat from the car. After wearing it, he held Lily''s waist and asked unhappily. "Didn''t I tell you to wait for me in the car?"


    "It was too stifling inside," Lily replied slowly while staring at Jaiden.


    Noticing her re, Jaiden approached her and said politely, "Ms. Brooks, I''d like you to save someone''s life. Please tell me how much you want in exchange for that."


    Lily just stared at him silently, and Jaiden kept quiet as well.


    A momentter, Lily said indifferently, "I want all of your family''s assets in exchange for my help."


    She paused for a while before adding, "Remember, I want everything, including your finances, properties, and shares. I want all of the Quinn family''s wealth!"

 Chapter 233

    ?Chapter 233


    Everyone inhaled sharply after hearing that, apart from Daniel and Loid. The entire worth of the Quinn family was immense. How could Lily obtain all of that?


    The Quinns had been around for the past hundred years and were extremely powerful. Though they kept a low profile through the years, they were still very prestigious. Their worth was probably more than 500 billion dors. Yet, Lily wanted to take away all their assets.


    Jaiden remained silent. He seemed to be thinking deeply. After a brief pause, he asked, "Is there any room for discussion?"


    "Yes," Lily replied coldly.


    Upon hearing that, Jaiden sighed in relief Yet, soon after, she said, "You can wait for the patient to die!"


    Jaiden fell silent.


    Lily stood there sternly, looking extremely intimidating.


    Loid knew that she was angry.


    In the past, he thought that Lily was an indifferent person who treated others coldly. Only a few people could make her happy, and she didn''t care about wealth at all. Usually, if she was in a good mood and if the other party didn''t cross her boundaries, she would try her best to help them. So, he was a little surprised that she wanted everything from the Quinn family.


    At the same time, Jaiden looked angry. Yet, he controlled his temper and said, "Ms. Brooks, I know we had a conflict during the auction, and I apologize for that.


    "But I can''t decide for the Quinn family. If you want money, I can give you all my personal assets. Please help me. I''ll owe you a favor. In the future, if you need my help-"


    Lily interrupted him, "Tell the head of the Quinn family to talk to me instead."


    She turned around emotionlessly. "I''ll take half of your assets if you want me to treat an illness. However, if you want me to rescue someone on the brink of death, you''ll have to give me all you have. That''s my rule."


    Jaiden looked up and stared at her meaningfully. "How can I trust that you''ll save the patient after I give you my entire family''s assets?"Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''ve changed my mind." Lily turned around and stared at Jaiden coldly. "I want all your family''s assets and your right arm as payment." Hearing that, Jaiden''s expression turned serious as the air around him turned terrifying.


    Loid walked forward and hugged Lily, blocking her from Jaiden. But Lily pulled away and stared at Jaiden defiantly.


    A minuteter, Jaiden gave in and frowned helplessly. "Give me a few days. I''ll give you an answer after discussing it with my family."


    At first, Jaiden nned to snatch the Redushil by force once the auction ended. However, when he arrived with his subordinates, he saw the McKees, the Reeves, and the Colemans. As such, he watched the situation quietly. If Loid died in the fight, he would snatch away the Redushil.


    On the contrary, if those three families couldn''t kill Loid, Jaiden would snatch it directly from him.


    Undoubtedly, Loid was powerful. He was so powerful that he could fight against 2,000 men from the three families. He wouldn''t be on the losing end if the other three families weren''t armed with so many people.


    Since Loid looked like he was going to be defeated, he wanted to make use of the opportunity to kill the other three families and snatch away the Redushil from Loid.


    However, when he was about to make a move, Augustus hurriedly rushed over and informed him that the first herb that Lily bought was called the Stargaza, which was much more valuable than Redushil.


    Augustus said that a medically skilled person might be able to use the Stargaza to create a Poison Pill.


    The Poison Pill could treat anybody who was poisoned.

 Chapter 234

    ?


    Chapter 234


    There was only one person in the world who had managed to create a Poison Pill. However, that person had been missing for years. Apparently, they used a Stargaza to create the Poison Pill.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Previously, Jaiden guessed that Lily was skilled in medicine. However, that assumption was never verified. Now, Augustus basically confirmed that Lily was highly skilled in medicine.


    If Lily was indeed skilled, Jaiden wouldn''t risk bing enemies with her.


    That was why he helped Loid.


    Besides, when he was talking to Lily earlier on, he swiftly pricked his right arm and flung a droplet of his blood on her. She immediately dodged, and her expression turned serious.


    Just from that, he was certain that Lily was skilled in medicine.


    However, he had already offended Lily with his actions. She was asking for his right arm and the entire assets of the Quinn family as payment.


    Things became more troublesome.


    "I don''t have time to wait for your reply." Lily looked at Jaiden indifferently before boarding the car.


    Loid followed after her.


    On the other hand, Shaun quickly arrived with his subordinates. They changed the car tire, and the vehicle started moving again.


    Once they were in the car, Shaun turned around and told Loid, "The Zhas and the Wagners also participated in the attack apart from the other three families. However, they were subdued by me before they had the chance to make a move.


    "The other families didn''t do anything. They''re probably waiting to see how the situation unfolds.


    "We should return to Lagersfield City and use the Redushil soon. Otherwise, we won''t be able to defeat all the Hidden Families if they choose to attack us together.


    "Also, Ken told me that it''s been pretty chaotic in Freeqa recently. The International Police have been causing trouble for them rather frequently. This might be the fault of those in Emerald Delta."


    Loid rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. But after seeing Lily frown, he extinguished the me and closed the window.


    He paused for a while before looking at Lily. "How many days do you need to finish your work?"


    Since the Redushil had been auctioned off and was with them, it was dangerous for them to stay in Bridgeport. Loid wouldn''t be worried if he were by himself, but he had to ensure the safety of Lily as well.


    Though Lily was stubborn and refused his help, he still didn''t want her to remain in Bridgeport.


    Besides, Belinda needed the Redushil, so they had to return home soon.


    However, ever since Lily arrived at Bridgeport, she had been busy working. She still had to meet Qillian the next day. And if the Quinns were willing to give her all their assets, she had to help them too.


    A lot of time would be wasted because of that.


    At the same time, since they weren''t in Lagersfield City, those from the Hidden Families would send their subordinates there. Something bad would certainly happen in the hospital.


    Lily thought for a while and replied, "We''ll return to Lagersfield City tomorrow. I''ll contact the Weiss family and tell them that I''ll be heading over now." At first, she nned to stay in Bridgeport for a few more days because she had important things to do. However, she had to return to Lagersfield City as soon as possible.


    Loid and her were worried about Belinda even though Elijah was guarding her because the hospital wasn''t perfectly safe.


    Previously, Lily hadn''t interacted with the Hidden Families before, so she didn''t know how powerful they were. After the auction, she realized that they were much wealthier and more capable than the underground forces.


    Elijah and the other subordinates were personally trained by Lily and were her trump cards. Initially, she thought that they were powerful enough. However, she realized that they weren''t strong enough to help her take over all the underground forces in the country.


    She had to go back quickly and treat Belinda. After that, she would figure out her next step.


    "Okay." Loid held her hand and gave some instructions to Daniel.

 Chapter 235

    ?Chapter 235


    Daniel informed the Weisses of their visit and drove straight there.


    After ending the call, Layton quickly instructed the maids to make preparations and personally went to the gate to greet them.


    Half an hourter, a car stopped outside Weiss Residence. Layton hurried over and greeted respectfully, "Mr. Laurier, Ms. Brooks."


    Loid nodded slightly while Lily seemed somewhat impatient as she said coldly, "Take me to see Mr. Weiss Senior first."


    "Of course."


    Layton didn''t say much more and led them inside.


    After taking a few steps, Lily suddenly stopped and turned to look at Loid. "Wait for me outside."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Loid cast her an unreadable nce. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Alright."


    "Mr. Laurier, I''ve made you some coffee in the front hall. You may wait there." Layton gestured for someone to escort Loid to the front hall while he took Lily to Qillian''s room.


    Weiss Residence wasn''t a vi but rather an old-style mansion with a spacious courtyard. Qillian lived in a more secluded part of the estate, where the surroundings were serene and elegant.


    Soon, they arrived. Layton knocked on the door and respectfully said, "Dad, Ms. Brooks is here."


    "Let her in," came the response from inside. Layton then led Lily into the room.


    An elderly many on the bed, his hair gray and his face pale. He looked quite sickly. Raising his hand slightly, he pointed to a nearby chair. "Ms. Brooks, I apologize for not being able to sit up and greet you due to my health. Please, make yourselffortable."


    Lily nodded and sat opposite Qillian, who then waved his hand at Layton, signaling him to leave.


    Once Layton was gone, Lily looked up at Qillian. After a long silence, she said softly, "You''re dying." Qillian chuckled. "Yes, I have about a month left."


    Lily looked away and said nothing.


    "How is Michael?" Qillian sat up and leaned against the headboard. His voice was weak.


    "I don''t know," Lily replied, her voice t and devoid of warmth.


    Qillian sighed softly. "It''s been over 40 years since west saw each other. Michael was a genius in medicine and a miracle doctor back then. He saved countless lives, but after that incident, he became disillusioned with the world and decided to live in seclusion."


    He looked out the window and uttered with a hint of sorrow in his voice, "I still remember thest thing he said before he left. He swore never to treat another person in this life and vowed that if he could turn back time, he would''ve never started practicing medicine."


    Lily listened quietly without interrupting.


    "So many years have passed without any news of him. I thought he might have already..." Qillian turned to Lily.


    "The night before the auction, I had a dream about him. I had a feeling he might show up at the auction. The Stargaza was his creation. When he went into seclusion, he destroyed all of them except for two. He gave one to me and kept the other one for himself."

 Chapter 236

    ?Chapter 236


    Qillian smiled. "Michael said that even though he was disillusioned with the world, it was hard for him topletely abandon his skills. The Stargaza was his greatest achievement. Even if he no longer practiced medicine, it was something to remember him by. That''s why I decided to auction it."


    Lily took a sip of hot water and nced at him without speaking. She continued to listen quietly.


    "I figured that even if I couldn''t meet him, I might encounter his descendants. Only someone from his line would recognize the Stargaza at a nce. Ms. Brooks, may I ask, how are you rted to Michael?"


    Lily looked at him and answered slowly, "I''m his apprentice."


    Qillian paused briefly before smiling. "I knew it. He always said he would give up, but deep down, he couldn''t. He never took on a student before. If he epted you, he must''ve passed on all his knowledge to you."


    "More or less," Lily replied calmly.


    "That''s great." Qillian pulled out a small box from under his pillow. "I asked you here to deliver this to Michael. My time is running out, and I fear I won''t have the chance to give it to him personally. Tell him Kanya left this behind after he left."


    Lily raised her eyes slightly. She was surprised to hear that name.


    That seemed to be the woman Michael often mentioned.


    "Kanya spent as many years looking for him as he spent away." Qillian sighed. "She said she wouldn''t return home until she found him. She also asked me to bury this if she never came back, and she''d consider that chapter of her life over."


    Seeing Lily remain silent, Qillian added, "You may not know this, but Kanya is my sister. She and Michael were deeply in love, but because of that incident... Well, it''s in the past now. Ms. Brooks, thank you for this favor."


    Lily took the box without opening it and said, "I''ll make sure he gets it."


    "Thank you." Qillian waved his hand. "Thank you foring all this way. We''ve prepared a meal. If you don''t mind, please stay and eat before you leave."


    Lily nodded and stood up to leave.


    In the courtyard, Layton was waiting by the door. He said to Lily. "Ms. Brooks, Mr. Laurier is waiting for you in the living room."


    "Okay." Lily pulled her cap lower and followed Layton to the living room. Lost in thought, she kept her head down.


    After a long silence, she suddenly looked up at Layton. "The Weisses used to be the wealthiest family in Bridgeport. Why did your status decline so quickly?"


    Lily didn''t usually care about the affairs of elite circles. She wasn''t well-versed in the rankings of these noble families, nor did she have much interest in them.


    However, she was suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar environment because of Loid and her ns to take over the country''s underground forces. along with the sudden emergence of so many hidden families.


    Hence, she decided to put in some effort to understand the Four Great Families and the Hidden Families in Bridgeport.


    Currently, the Four Great Families of Bridgeport were the Lauriers, Knights, Levensons, and Woodleys. They were also the top noble families with resources and influence far surpassing others.


    Next in line was the Daltons. Ranked fifth, they were poised to potentially oust the Woodleys and be one of the Four Great Families.


    The Weisses were the number one noble family over 50 years ago. Back then, even the Hidden Families hadn''t gone into hiding yet. The Weisses had held the top spot for many years. In that era, the Weisses represented authority, and no one dared to disrespect them.


    But now, they were ranked tenth.


    Their wealth seemed to diminish year after year.


    During her conversation with Qillian, Lily had been pondering why the Weisses hadn''t chosen to go into seclusion with their former status. They would''ve maintained their influence if they did that. Instead, they had fallen so far behind. It felt odd.


    Layton shed her a bitter smile. "It''s because Mr. Weiss Senior has been ill. He''s been surviving on medication for the past 40 years. Without his guidance, the family couldn''t withstand the aggressivepetition from other families. Hence, we''ve been in decline ever since.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 237

    ?Chapter 237


    Lily lowered her gaze as confusion crossed her face.


    She had examined Qillian''s condition and noted that he had at least five different illnesses. Additionally, his body harbored a slow-acting poison.


    This poison was difficult to detect and had likely been in his system for over 40 years. It might also be the reason why Qillian''s other health issues were gradually emerging.


    Interestingly, Qillian seemed to have some immunity to the poison. Lily wondered if he had eaten Michael''s Poison Pill.


    After all, a Poison Pill could cure all poisons. However, given Qillian''s age, his immune system couldn''t fully expel the toxins, which eventually led to long-term damage to his organs.


    "The auction must have brought in billions, right?" Lily tilted her head and asked nonchntly.


    They had already crossed the billions mark just from her and Jaiden''s contributions alone, not to mention the others.


    Layton nodded. "Yes, but it doesn''t change much. The Weisses have been heavily in debt for a long time. Especially without the Redushil, our family won''t regain our former glory."


    Lily frowned. "Is it that bad?"


    "Ms. Brooks, you''re not from this circle, so you might not know the rules. Once a family falls in ranking, it''s hard to climb back up. Moreover, many hidden families have emerged in recent years and disrupted Bridgeport''s structure.


    "Even the Four Great Families are struggling to maintain their positions, let alone the Weisses."


    Lily fell silent.


    When they reached the living room, Lily asked Layton to go in first. She found a quiet corner, took out her phone, and dialed a number.


    The call was quickly answered, and a raspy voice came through. "Hey, what''s with the surprise call?"


    "I met Qillian, and he asked me to bring you something. Where are you now? I''ll deliver it to you." If Loid or others were around, they would''ve noticed Lily''s tone was unusually rxed and casual. It was a side she seldom showed to anyone else


    There was a long silence on the other end. "How is he? Is he doing alright?"


    "He''s been poisoned and has five concurrent illnesses. He won''tst more than a month," Lily answered truthfully.


    Another pause ensued before he spoke again, "I can''t make it back for the time being. Can you save him?" "You want me to save him?" Lily asked.


    "He''s the only true friend I have in this lifetime." Michael''s voice was heavy with emotion.


    Lily nodded. "Alright, I got it."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She then paused before asking again, "Where are you?"


    Michael chuckled awkwardly. "I''m in Mardonia."


    Lily''s expression instantly darkened. "Why did you go there? Don''t you know your own situation?"


    "Come on, don''t be mad. I just felt cooped up and needed some fresh air. There''s a medical conference here, so I thought I''d check it out." Michael said in a cating tone.


    "Didn''t you swear you''d never practice medicine again? What''s the point of attending that?" Lily asked emotionlessly.


    Embarrassed, Michael scratched his head. "I said I wouldn''t practice medicine, but it doesn''t mean I can''t keep learning, right? Besides, I have to keep up so that I can teach you. If I forget everything, how am I supposed to teach you?"


    "Do you really think you have anything left to teach me?" Lily countered.


    Michael was left speechless.


    He had to admit that his only apprentice was a genius.


    Medicine was one of the things that Michael took pride in throughout his whole life, but Lily learned all the medical skills he possessed in just two months. She not only mastered them but also created numerous new treatment methods.


    Lily even learned the revive acupuncture techniques he had spent his entire life perfecting on her own. He truly had nothing left to teach her. "You have three days to get back, or I''lle to Mardonia myself," Lily said sternly.


    "You little rascal. You''re always bossing me around." Michael felt a pang of frustration. "I''ll buy a ticket and head back tomorrow."


    Lily''s expression softened a bit. "I''ll send the item Qillian gave me to your usual spot. Remember to take it. He said it was from Kanya."


    Michael immediately stood up. He sounded especially agitated. "I''ll buy a ticket right now. Don''t send it to the usual spot. Give me an address and I''lle to you directly."


    Lily raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

 Chapter 238

    ?Chapter 238


    It was rare to see Michael so concerned about something. Lily wondered if she should consider using Kanya to threaten him in the future.


    After hanging up, Lily walked into the living room where Loid and Layton were chatting.


    As soon as she entered, Loid stood up and pulled her into his arms. He asked in his husky voice, "Done talking?"


    Sinceing to Bridgeport, he had always felt he couldn''t quite grasp Lily. Her social connections and the secretive things she was involved in made him uneasy. He was always afraid she would suddenly disappear. So, he kept a close watch on her to prevent her from slipping away.


    "Yeah." Lily nodded andzily leaned against him. She looked tired.


    Noticing she seemed worn out, Loid asked gently, "Do you want to rest for a bit?"


    "It''s fine." Lily shook her head. "Let''s head back after our meal. After bidding goodbye to your grandfather, we''ll return to Lagersfield City tonight."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Loid frowned. "Are you in such a hurry?"


    Lily rubbed her temples. "I just feel uneasy."


    "Alright." Loid understood what she was worried about.


    Belinda was alone in the hospital, and Lily was concerned.


    After dinner at Weiss Residence, Lily left with Loid and the others.


    As they were leaving. Lily stopped and looked at Layton. She said calmly, "Starting tomorrow, liquidate the Weisses'' assets and sell off all your properties."


    Layton was shocked. "Ms. Brooks, what do you mean by this?"


    Loid was also surprised.


    Shaun and Daniel seemed confused as well.


    They knew Lily well, and she never liked meddling in others'' affairs. They wondered why she was intervening in the Weisses'' matters this time, not to mention suggesting they sell off everything. This would essentially force the Weisses out of the upper-ss circle.


    "Once the Weisses'' assets are sold, someone will connect you with new ventures. I want you to climb to the sixth position among Bridgeport''s noble families within a month." Lily''s cold statement shocked everyone present.


    Layton was stunned. He stared at Lily. "Sixth ce?"


    If anyone else had said this, he would have called them an idiot. How could they possibly move from tenth ce to sixth ce in just a month? It wasn''t like a race where a bit of effort could improve your rank. This was about strength, wealth, and influence.


    The Weisses were struggling to stay afloat, and she wanted them to reach sixth ce. It sounded like a madman''s dream. But he dared not talk back to Lily.


    Lily nced at him, her voice icy. "I''ll provide you with the people and funds. If you can''t make it even then, it''s your problem. I don''t want to support someone ipetent."


    Loid, Shaun, Daniel, and Layton all turned to look at Lily in unison.


    Loid simply nced at her before looking away. He seemed to understand her intentions. Meanwhile, Shaun and Daniel were bewildered. They couldn''t grasp the situation.


    Layton quickly snapped to his senses. He was too excited to speak. "Ms. Brooks, are you serious?"


    "I don''t like repeating myself." Lily''s gaze was as cold as ever. "In the next couple of days, bring Mr. Weiss Senior to Lagersfield City. Tell everyone about it. Let everyone know that I''m going to treat him."


    Without waiting for Layton''s response, she turned and walked away.

 Chapter 239

    ?Chapter 239


    In the car, Lily leaned back in her seat. Her baseball cap shaded her face, and she kept her eyes closed. She wasn''t asleep, just deep in thought.


    The weather had turned a bit chilly, so Loid draped his jacket over her shoulders without disturbing her.


    Sitting in the front passenger seat, Shaun nced back at Lily. He had many questions but was unsure if she was awake or not as her cap was blocking her face. In the end, he decided not to disturb her.


    After some deliberation, he quietly asked Loid, "Mr. Laurier, are you really nning to let Lily reveal her identity? If her medical skills be public knowledge, everyone will be watching her. This will inevitably expose her identity as Reese, and it might make things more dangerous."


    Loid gazed out the window, his eyes calm and unfathomable.


    Shaun frowned and continued, "Currently, troubles in Freeqa are escting. We need to hurry there. Besides, there''s a new directive regarding the shooting in Driftwood Bay from over a decade ago. We''re to find the truth as soon as possible.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Also, the terrorists in Yastria are developing new and dangerous weapons. We''ve been ordered to make preparations."


    Shaun sighed. "If Lily''s identity is exposed now, it''ll put all of us in a difficult position."


    Loid lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled the smoke out the window. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. After a long pause, he said. "Have you found the survivors from Driftwood Bay?"


    Shaun replied, "Zarko''s son and daughter are still alive. ording to the information from Alchos, their identities have been well hidden. The person who did this is an expert, so we haven''t been able to track their movements.


    Loid opened his eyes slightly. "Who took the job?"


    "Foxy." Shaun answered honestly. "Usually, we go to K for highly confidential information. But K announced they would only take one job a month. and they already have a backlog of requests. It would take months for them to get to our request.


    "Given our time constraints, we went to someone else. Foxy is a top-tier hacker at Alchos and has decent skills."


    Loid fell silent for a moment. "ce an order with K and offer a higher price. We need to find Zarko''s children and get to the bottom of what happened back then. The evidence we have now isn''t enough."


    Shaun sighed. "That''s not the hard part. But what about Lily? Are you just going to go along with her ns? We might be able to dy Zarko''s case, but the situation with Yastria can''t be put off. How do we bnce this to keep Lily safe?"


    Loid rubbed his temples, feeling a bit helpless. "She has her reasons for doing this. She doesn''t take unnecessary risks. Don''t worry. Just make sure we have people watching her in the shadows."


    Shaun felt the weight of the situation too. "Alright then. Your fianc¨¦e is different from other women. She''s incredibly strong. It doesn''t feel like she needs our protection."


    The car ride grew quiet.


    Lily slowly opened her eyes, her expression unreadable.


    Soon, they arrived at the Laurier residence.


    Lily removed her cap and sat up before ncing at Loid. She hesitated briefly but said nothing.


    As they entered, they found the living room crowded with people.


    The entire Laurier family was present. Lily''s memory was sharp, so she had memorized everyone''s identity the first day she arrived.

 Chapter 240

    ?Chapter 240


    However, there was an unfamiliar man in his 50s among them. He exuded an extraordinary air and had a cold look in his eyes.


    Lily furrowed her brows slightly as she nced at Loid. She then walked up to Arthur and said politely, "Grandpa Arthur, we came here to let you know that we''re preparing to leave¡ª"


    As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere in the room turned tense.


    Marvin was the first to stand up. He quickly uttered, "No, you can''t leave!"


    Loid''s second uncle chimed in, "That''s right. You can''t leave until this matter is resolved."


    Lily raised an eyebrow. "What matter are you talking about?"


    Nora sneered, "Are you ying dumb? You bought the Redushil with the Lauriers'' money, so the herb belongs to us. If you''re leaving, you need to hand it over first!"


    "What?" Lilyughed and then turned to Loid. Her voice was indifferent as ever as she asked, "Are the Lauriers nning to rob me?" Loid''s expression darkened, and a cold glint shed in his eyes.


    He quicklyposed himself, moved to Lily''s side, and gently stroked her head. "The Redushil is yours. No one can take it from you." Nora mmed the table and stood up in anger. "Loid, don''t forget you''re the heir of the Lauriers. You must prioritize the family''s interests. Lily isn''t even married to you yet, and you''re already siding with her. Are you nning to hand over the entire Laurier family to her after getting married?" Loid narrowed his eyes, his demeanor turning cold. "When did my decisions be yours to make? Aunt Nora, have I been too lenient with you?" His sudden outburst of dominance reminded Nora of the time he nearly strangled Joanne. Terrified, she stumbled back. Her face turned pale with fear.


    Sitting calmly in her chair, Mnie nced at Nora. She asked calmly, "Nora, are you trying to sow discord between my son and his future wife?"


    Nora steadied herself, avoiding Loid''s gaze as her demeanor softened. "I''m just trying to reim what belongs to the Lauriers.


    "Mnie, I''m looking out for you. How well do you even know Lily? She hasn''t been dating Loid for long. If she ends up harming the Lauriers, who will bear the responsibility?


    "Besides, the Redushil is the Lauriers'' asset. Everyone has a share in the family''s wealth. We can''t just let your family take it for free, right?"


    "I need to correct a few points," Mnie said. She stood up and approached Nora with an unreadable expression.


    "First, Lily and Loid are engaged, so she''s my daughter-inw and thus part of the Lauriers. Second, the Redushil was bought with Lily''s own money. Even if it were the Lauriers'' money, what does that have to do with you?"


    Mnie raised her eyes. She looked elegant and poised butmanding. "Over the years, if not for Loid, could the Lauriers have maintained our position at the top? Could our family''s wealth have increased steadily?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Based on each member''s share of the family assets, Loid should''ve received at least 500 billion dors. Has he taken a single cent?"


    "Well.." Nora was at a loss for words.


    Marvin also kept his head down and kept silent.


    The other family members exchanged uneasy nces but said nothing.


    Mnie let out a coldugh. "Meanwhile, you all take money from the family to buy luxury homes, drive fancy cars, and raise mistresses outside. How much personal gain have you all amassed using the Lauriers'' name?


    "Loid does all the hard work, yet you all suddenly have objections when his fianc¨¦e wants a herb. Do you really think this is fair?"


    "But Redushil is an incredibly rare and valuable herb. If we keep it, it could elevate the Lauriers even further," Nora protested, still unwilling to


    concede.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter <b>241 </b>


    Mnie turned and stared intently at Nora<b>, </b>making her feel extremely uneasy..


    After some time<b>, </b>he smiled. ¡°Do you know anything about medicine? Or is there <b>someone </b>in our family who has exceptional medical skills?


    Marvin frowned. ¡°We¡¯re discussing the Redushil. What does understanding medicine have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Marvin, if you haven¡¯t contributed to the family¡¯s affairs, perhaps <b>you </b>shouldn¡¯t Interrupt,¡± Mnie said faintly, her voice devoid of warmth.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Marvin was infuriated but found himself unable to retort.


    Ignoring him, Mnie turned her gaze back to Nora. ¡°The reason why so many people covet Redushil is that it can be used as a key ingredient in treating various rare and difficult diseases. Whether it¡¯s the prominent families in Bridgeport or the Hidden Families, they all have ill elders.


    ¡°They also have family members who are outstanding medical practitioners. <b>They </b><b>want </b>the Redushil to treat illnesses. Does <b>anyone </b><b>in </b><b>our </b>family have


    such a condition?¡±


    ¡°Well, Dad is afflicted by the Bloodbane <b>poison</b>.¡± Nora brought up Arthur¡¯s <b>condition</b>.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s condition has already been cured. You didn¡¯t know?¡± Mnie¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot. You¡¯ve always been too busy to care about <b>family </b>matters. You¡¯re more invested in the Albotts¡® affairs. I remember Mr. Albott Senior hast been suffering from a stroke for many years<b>, </b>right?


    ¡°Recently, I heard that a renowned doctor imed that they could <b>develop </b>a cure for his stroke with Redushil.¡±


    Nora¡¯s face fell. She was surprised that Mnie knew about it.


    Mnie usually stayed out of family matters, but she had thoroughly investigated everything this time.


    Nora frowned. ¡°Yes, the Albotts and the Lauriers have been close allies. If we could give the Redushil to the Albotts, wouldn¡¯t it strengthen our <b>rtionship</b>?


    ¡°Moreover, <b>that </b>doctor said <b>that </b>with the Redushil, they could certainly develop a cure for stroke. Mnie, I admit I was a bit rushed earlier. I wasn¡¯t too kind to Lily, but¡­¡±


    Nora¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°You know, even though I¡¯m a daughter of the Lauriers, the Albotts have always looked down on me. Over the years, I¡¯ve lived worse than a maid. Please, for my sake, let me have the Redushil. If it can cure Mr. Albott Senior¡¯s illness, I¡¯ll be eternally grateful.¡±


    Hearing that, Lily looked up andughed coldly. ¡°What a fool.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The Redushil was considered a priceless treasure because nobody could cultivate it due to severe environmental pollution and poor climate conditions. Once the previously preserved Redushil was used up, the herb was <b>as </b>good as extinct. The Albotts in Aeston once owned one but eventually sold it to


    someone else.


    While the Albotts in Aeston couldn¡¯t quitepare to the Alborts in Bridgeport, they were still a force to be reckoned with. The Hidden Families would <b>naturally </b>avoid targeting them.


    The Weisses had one Redushil. Apart from that, no others had surfaced. So, the only known Redushil was the one the Weisses possessed.


    People naturally assumed that Redushil was incredibly valuable. In reality, it was not particrly useful on its own. It might have some benefits for calming the mind and improving blood cirction. Skilled doctors could use it as a medicinal ingredient, but its main benefit was just detoxification. Lily needed the Redushil because the Mindshroud poison she was dealing with wasn¡¯t an ordinary poison. It was a type of embarant.


    These embarants would remain dormant for years if nted in the human body. To drive them out, one would need herbs with strong properties to stir them into activity. Once they became active, Lily could extract them from the body.


    Redushil, as it stood, was the best <b>catalyst </b>she could think of for this purpose.


    These ignorant Hidden Families were fighting to the death over a herb that wasn¡¯t <b>even </b>that useful.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You</b>! Already in a bad mood due to Loid and Mnie pressuring <b>her</b><b>, </b>Nora was further agitated by Lily¡¯s mocking. She was about tosh out but swallowed her words upon meeting Loid¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Nora, there <b>are </b>some things I really shouldn¡¯t be saying, but now, I have no choice.¡± Mnie looked at her expressionlessly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been married into the Albotts for years and taken plenty from our family to support them. I¡¯m sure it amounts to at least billions of dors.


    ¡°You¡¯ve also taken a share of the Lauriers profits each year. I¡¯ve turned a blind eye to it in the past, but now, I think you should visit less often. Don¡¯t worry. Even though you¡¯re married off, I won¡¯t take backy your shares.¡±

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Nora¡¯s face fell. ¡°Mnie, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to kick me out of the Lauriers?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e now. You tried to make decisions for my future daughter¨Cinw. Can¡¯t I help Dad chase away the <b>unnecessary </b>people in the house?¡± Mnie replied <b>calmly</b>.


    ¡°<b>I</b>¡­¡± <b>Nora¡¯s </b>face turned bright red with anger, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to respond.


    She turned to Marvin for help


    After <b>a </b>moment of hesitation, Marvin said, ¡°But we can¡¯t just give the Redushil to Lily for free. She used our money and spent 500 billion dors <b>today</b>. If she wants it, fine. But she needs to pay us back the money.¡±


    ¡°How do you know she spent our <b>money</b>?¡± Mnie nced at him lightly. ¡°Should we check the bank ounts?¡±


    Marvin shot up from his seat, his expression turning dark. ¡°Forget it. Just give the Redushil to Lily. I have no objections.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Hearing this, the others quickly echoed<b>, </b>¡°We have no objections either.¡±


    Mnie had to be joking. None of the Lauriers¡® ounts were clean. They had been involved in many dirty dealings for years.


    If they were to be investigated, none of them would escape unscathed. Their current assets could be confiscated, and they might even lose their shares. No one dared take that risk.


    ¡°Marvin, you¡­¡± Nora couldn¡¯t believe how quickly Marvin had changed his stance. She was so angry she couldn¡¯t speak.


    Marvin straightened his expression. ¡°Nora, Mnie is right. A married daughter shouldn¡¯t visit their maiden family too often. The Lauriers have been more than generous to the Albotts with the money we¡¯ve given them. We¡¯re not their ATM. From now on, don¡¯te back if there¡¯s nothing urgent. Nora jumped up. ¡°Marvin, are you kicking me out too?


    ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you out. I¡¯m doing this for your own good. If you keeping home, the Albotts might suspect us of ulterior motives. It might make your life harder.¡± Marvin sat back down expressionlessly.


    Nora stomped her foot in anger. She then turned to Arthur. ¡°Dad, look at Marvin and Mnie! I¡¯m your daughter. Do you really never want to see me ¡°gain?¡±


    ¡°I no longer call the shots. Since Mnie is the owner of this house, her word is final.¡± Arthur sipped his tea serenely, unaffected by themotion around him.


    Just as <b>Nora </b>was about to speak, Lily¡¯s phone rang. It was Winston, her grandmother¡¯s attending physician. She immediately answered.


    ¡°Ms. Brooks¡­¡±


    As soon as the doctor spoke, Lily jolted up from the seat. Her expression darkened. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Loid watched her, wondering why she looked so agitated.


    ¡°Your grandmother had a rpse. I went to administer the medication, only to find out that the hospital was out of the special antidote. I contacted the Medical Research Institute, but they were out of it as well. It seems someone had bought them all.


    ¡°We urgently need those antidotes to save your grandmother. Can you ask Mr. <b>Laurier </b>if he can get hold of them?¡±

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 243

    <b>Chapter </b><b>243 </b>


    Lily kept her head down, the brim of her cap casting a shadow over her face. Though the others couldn¡¯t see her expression, they could feel the sudden tension in the room. She stood there like a demon from hell, exuding a chilling air.


    Sensing something <b>wrong</b>, Loid asked softly, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Lily looked at him and replied coldly, ¡°My grandmother <b>had </b>a rpse. The hospital <b>and </b>the Medical Research Institute are out of the special antidote.¡±


    Loid¡¯s face fell. He patted her head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    With that, he stepped out with his phone..


    Lily stood frozen for a long moment before finally moving. As she turned around to leave, she cast a fierce nce at the Lauriers, making them feel at shiver run down their spines.


    Then, without a word, she walked out the door.


    Loid made several calls, his expression growing darker with each one. After thest call, he looked at Lily and said, ¡°This morning, someone took all the special antidotes from the research institute, and the hospital¡¯s supply was stolen. There¡¯s none left in the entire country.¡±


    His tone was as <b>cold </b>as ever.


    Loid had already provided the hospital with extra antidotes just in case someone with malicious intentions wanted to target Belinda<b>. </b>Yet, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that someone would take all the special antidotes.


    Hearing that, Lily looked up at him. ¡°I need to make a call.¡±


    Finding a secluded spot, she opened her WhatsApp, found Elliot¡¯s contact, and video¨Ccalled him.


    Elliot quickly answered. Seeing a young face on the other end, Elliot was momentarily stunned. ¡°Who are you? Why do you have K¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, K,¡± Lily said, her face expressionless.


    Elliot was speechless for a long while. He was utterly shocked. He thought he was hearing things. ¡°Who did you say you were?¡±


    Lily¡¯s patience was wearing thin, so she cut to the chase. ¡°Can you get some special antidote from the research institute? I need it urgently.¡±


    Seeing her solemn expression, Elliot nced at the number again and confirmed she was indeed K. He was bbergasted. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really K? You¡¯re a girl and so young? I must be seeing things!¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression darkened, and she frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for jokes!¡±


    Elliot snapped back to reality at her tone and quickly got serious. ¡°I¡¯ll look into it right away.¡±


    After ending the video call, he hurriedly started his investigation.


    He <b>had </b>known K for very long but had never seen her reveal her true face. For her to be this anxious and risk exposure meant the situation was dire. Soon, Elliot found what he was looking for and called Lily back.


    Lily answered immediately, ¡°Found anything?¡±


    ave it in Mardonia. When do you <b>need </b>it?¡± Elliot asked


    ¡°Now,¡± Lily replied.


    ¡°Now?¡± Elliot was taken aback. ¡°It would take at least four hours by ne to get back from Mardonia, assuming there¡¯s even a flight avable¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why the urgency?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°My grandmother needs it urgently. There¡¯s no special antidotes left in the country,¡± Lily exined, her body tense. Her expression was extremely gloomy.


    Elliot pursed his lips, his expression serious. ¡°Let me think¡­¡±


    He knew how much K cared for her grandmother. He <b>had </b>toe up with a solution.


    After a moment, Elliot said, ¡°I have an idea. Hawk just went to Mardonia yesterday. I can arrange for her to get the antidote and return immediately.¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. <b>We </b>can¡¯t control international flights. But I¡¯ll do my best to get the antidote for you,¡± Elliot replied.


    Lily nced over at Loid, then back at her phone. <b>¡°</b>Contact Hawk <b>first</b><b>.</b>¡±


    After ending the call, Lily walked up to Loid. ¡°Can you get someone from Mardonia here in three hours?¡± She knew it took about four hours to drive from Bridgeport to Lagersfield City. If they drove fast, they could make it in three.


    If Hawk could get the antidote to Lagersfield City in three hours, Belinda might have a chance.


    ¡°We can do that.¡± Loid pulled her into aforting embrace. He could feel her trembling, so he tightened his hold. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a private jet. Have your friend head to <b>the </b>airport now.¡±


    Lily nodded and quickly called Hawks, who agreed without hesitation.


    After the call, Daniel pulled up with the car.


    Mnie had already packed their bags and handed them over. She gently held Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your grandmother will be alright. Your uncle has contacted the traffic authorities. They¡¯ll give you a clear path. Go on ahead. We¡¯ll follow shortly.¡±


    Lily sniffed and <b>said</b>, ¡°Thank you, Mnie.


    Mnie patted Lily¡¯s shoulder, urging them to hurry.


    Shaun was waiting at the highway entrance. Once they picked him up, Daniel sped towards Lagersfield City.


    Throughout the drive, Lily kept a video call open with Winston, who was providing her with <b>real</b>¨Ctime updates from the operating room.


    ¡°Ms. Brooks, your grandmother¡¯s blood pressure is dropping, and her pulse and breathing are getting weaker,¡± Winston reported anxiously.


    Lily sat up straight, her expression tense. ¡°Find a doctor practicing alternative medicine! Hurry up!¡±


    Winston immediately instructed a nurse to fetch the most reputable alternative treatment doctor in the hospital. Soon, the nurse returned with Anthony Hudson, a well¨Cknown physician at the hospital.


    On the way, the nurse briefed Anthony on the situation and the patient¡¯s importance. Not wasting a moment, Anthony jumped straight into the matter as soon as <b>he </b>arrived. ¡°Ms. Brooks, I heard you needed me.¡±


    ¡°Follow my instructions and perform acupuncture on my grandmother. You should get two more doctors to help. You won¡¯t be able to handle it alone,¡± Lily instructed, detailing the specific acupoints.


    The nurse quickly went to find more doctors.


    Anthony began to follow Lily¡¯s directions <b>and </b>inserted the needles as she described.


    Initially, he was concerned. Given the critical condition of the patient, he feared that even surgery might not be able to save her, let alone acupuncture. However, as he followed Lily¡¯s precise steps, he was astonished.


    Anthony had spent his lifetime practicing alternative medicine, and he recognized the technique she was directing him in. It was the Golden Needle Acupuncture Technique.


    He had read about this technique once. This method was known to protect the heart meridian of a dying person, significantly increasing the chances of survival.


    However, it was extremely demanding physically. It required constant and meticulous needle insertion and removal. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Anthony couldn¡¯t believe that <b>someone </b><b>as </b>young <b>as </b>Lily was knowledgeable about <b>such </b>an advanced technique. Before he could express his amazement, Lily calmly continued to guide him through the acupoints.


    Without dy, Anthony followed the steps.


    The nurse came back with two senior alternative medicine doctors. The three worked in harmony, and Anthony breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Brooks, her situation is stable for now.¡±

 Chapter 245

    <b>Chapter </b>245


    Lily¡¯s tense body finally rxed. The car sped along the highway as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. The cold air around her seemed to fade away. Loid pulled her into his <b>arms</b>, and she immediately curled up in his embrace. Unlike her usual strong self, she looked very vulnerable now.


    Loid gently patted her back andforted her softly, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t respond, but Lold felt a slight warmth against his chest.


    He sighed softly. He knew that the only thing that <b>could </b>shatter Lily¡¯s pride and strength was Belinda. He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what would happen it Belinda didn¡¯t make it.


    The car was silent. Even Sham, who was typically chatty, remained quiet. He understood that Lily was in no mood for conversation and didn¡¯t want to add to her stress.


    Lily remained huddled in Loid¡¯s embrace, her eyes closed but her mind alert. She feared any further bad news from the hospital.


    Loid kept an eye on his phone and monitored the situation in the operating room. Belinda was out of immediate danger for now, and several doctors were keeping watch of her.


    Suddenly, Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he shouted, ¡°Daniel, speed up!¡±


    His sudden outburst startled everyone in the car. Lily jolted up abruptly and locked her eyes on the video. She snatched the phone from Loid, her fingers grippling it tightly. Her eyes were zing with fury.


    In the video, a group of masked intruders had burst into the operating room, Winston and Anthony were shot and fell to the ground. The attackers used a silencer. Hence, the people in the <b>room </b>were killed before even having the chance to shout <b>for </b>help.


    One of the intruders approached <b>Belinda</b>. He then pulled out a photo,pared it to her, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


    Another guy raised a gun and almed it directly at Belinda. The next second, <b>a </b>bang was heard.


    ¡°No!¡± Lily screamed, her eyes turning red with rage. She resembled a wild beast.


    She pounded on the car door frantically. <b>¡°</b>Stop the car!¡±


    Unaware of what was happening, Daniel nced back at Lily. ¡°Ms. Brooks, I¡¯m already driving as fast as I can. We¡¯ll be there in 40 minutes.¡±


    ¡°I <b>said</b>, stop the car!¡± Lily shouted, lunging for the steering wheel.


    Shaun quickly intervened and stopped her. He had seen the video. Knowing the gravity of the situation, he didn¡¯t dare to speak.


    Loid pulled Lily back and held her tightly. He said in a trembling voice, ¡°Grandma will be fine. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to check on her. Please, stay calm


    ¡°Yes. Mr. Laurier has his men at the hospital. I¡¯ll call them right now,¡± Shaun hurriedly said and pulled out his phone to make the call<b>. </b>


    After several attempts, no one answered.


    He turned to <b>Loid</b>, his expression grim. ¡°No one¡¯s picking up. I think¡­¡±


    Damn it!


    Shaun punched the car door in frustration. Despite all the precautions they <b>had </b>taken, someone still managed to break into the hospital and <b>attack </b>Belinda It was a direct blow to hispetence.


    Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening


    ¡°Call the hospital director and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Lily had smashed her <b>phone </b>in her earlier outburst. The video call was disconnected, and they had no idea what was the situation in the operating room.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Laly looked up, her eyes burning with rage. She red at Loid with an extremely dark expression.


    Loid felt a sharp pain in his chest. He didn¡¯t want her to hate him.


    He loosened his grip instinctively, and Lily immediately pushed the car door open. She was ready to jump out despite the speeding vehicle.


    Suddenly, her phone rang N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    <b>She </b>nced at the caller ID with narrowed eyes. After a moment, she closed the car door and answered the call indiferently.

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    Before Lily could speak, Elijah¡¯s urgent voice came through the phone. ¡°Reese, a powerful group attacked us. They¡¯re cruel and <b>fast</b>. Our men didn¡¯t even have time to react before they were wiped out. Hundreds of our people are dead.¡±


    He then sighed and continued, ¡°I saw them heading toward the hospital. When are youing ba


    Elijah¡¯s words were cut off by the sound of gunfire and screeching brakes.


    Lily lowered her head. Her face was hidden by the brim of her cap, so her expression was unreadable.


    After a moment, she raised her gaze. Her eyes were dark as she said, ¡°Let them into the city. Take your men to the hospital immediately. My grandmother is in <b>danger</b>. Tell Clinton to seal off all exits of Lagersfield City. No one can leave.¡±


    Elijah instinctively shivered <b>at </b>the icy tone in her voice. He hadn¡¯t heard her talking in such a tone for a long time. Belinda was in trouble, and Reese was furious!


    After hanging up, Lily rolled down the window. The night outside was pitch ck, and the roaring engine of the car broke through the silence. ncing at her phone, she murmured, ¡°We have three hours until dawn. That¡¯s enough time.¡±


    Shaun felt a chill run down his spine.


    Loid opened his mouth, wanting <b>to </b>ask Lily to let him take over the situation. But he stopped himself. He knew how stubborn she was and how she hated others making decisions for her.


    If he took things into his own hands now, Lily would only hate him more. Deciding against it, he resolved to support her in his own way.


    Lily remained silent for a while before making another call.


    The person on the other end picked up quickly. But before they could speak, she cut in, ¡°Maxwell, I need <b>a </b>favor¡­


    It was four in the morning at the Lane residence. After receiving Lily¡¯s call, Maxwell hurriedly got dressed.


    As he descended the stairs, he encountered Poppy, who had gotten up for a drink of water. Seeing him heading out sote, she casually asked, ¡°Maxwell, are you going out on a case?¡±


    Maxwell paused. Looking at Poppy, he was unsure of how to respond.


    The Graham siblings were very close to Lily. Although the three of them didn¡¯t frequently keep in touch, Maxwell <b>knew </b>they considered each other family.


    Belinda treated the <b>Graham </b>siblings like her own grandchildren.


    He wondered if he should tell Poppy what had happened,


    Poppy might appear indifferent to most things, but she was actually very perceptive. She immediately noticed Maxwell¡¯s unusual demeanor. ¡°Maxwell, did something happen?¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, Maxwell decided to spill. ¡°There was a shooting at the hospital. Madan Hutchinson is in trouble. I have to go there


    DOW<b>¡­ </b>This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The ss of water slipped from Poppy¡¯s hand, shattering on the floor. She stared <b>at </b>Maxwell in shock. ¡°What did you say? Seeing her reaction, Maxwell was reluctant to bring her along. He patted her shoulder. ¡°You should rest. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Just as he took a step toward the door, Poppy grabbed his hand with an anxious look. ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± Maxwell hesitated briefly but nodded. ¡°Alright, but the hospital is dangerous. Stay close to me, and don¡¯t wander off.¡± ¡°Okay¡±

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    Poppy followed Maxwell to the hospital. Taking in the chaotic scene around her, she frowned deeply. Her expression was unusually solemn.


    Gunfire echoed constantly from all directions, and Maxwell quickly dispatched his men to handle the situation.


    Poppy stood frozen for a while. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. ¡°Madam Hutchinson¡­¡±


    Without looking back, she <b>took </b>off running toward the operating room.


    Shocked, Maxwell shouted, ¡°Poppy,e back!!!


    But she didn¡¯t seem to hear him and continued her desperate sprint.


    von


    Maxwell was about to chase after her when he noticed someone aiming a gun at him from a distance. He dodged just in time and had to focus entirely defending himself.


    Outside the operating room, bodies littered the floor. Poppy¡¯s heart trembled with anxiety. She forcefully pushed open the door.


    Inside, the scene made her face pale. Rushing to Belinda¡¯s bedside<b>, </b>she called out, ¡°Madam Hutchinson¡­¡±


    Belinda, whose condition had been stabilized by Anthony earlier, was conscious. She had been shot, but she still clung to life. ¡°Poppy, what¡­ are you doing here?¡±


    Her voice was barely a whisper, and her body felt cold,


    Seeing her in this state, Poppy burst into tears. ¡°Madam Hutchinson, hang in there. I¡¯ll save you. I won¡¯t let you die.¡±


    She fought back her sorrow, stood up, and surveyed the medical equipment in the room. The gunfight had contaminated the sterile tools, and some were even destroyed.


    <b>With </b>Belinda in no condition to be moved, Poppy took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, and opened them again. Her gaze was resolute.


    Moving swiftly, she donned a set of sterile clothing and began disinfecting the surgical tools that she might need with antiseptic. She then picked up a syringe of anesthetic and forced a smile at Belinda. ¡°Madam Hutchinson, just go <b>to </b>sleep for a bit, and everything will be fine.¡±


    Before Belinda could respond, <b>Poppy </b>administered the anesthetic.


    Soon, <b>Belinda¡¯s </b>eyelids grew heavy, and she lost consciousness.


    Calm and focused, Poppy expertly wielded the scalpel and made an incision to extract the bullet.


    With the monitoring equipment damaged, she couldn¡¯t rely on it to gauge Belinda¡¯s condition and had to rely solely on her own observations.


    However, she noticed that Belinda¡¯s condition had worsened as her breathing was bing increasingly faint. Panic welled up, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. ¡°Madam Hutchinson, you have to hold on. You¡¯re the only family Lily has left. Please don¡¯t leave her.¡±


    Tears streamed down Poppy¡¯s face, and her hand shook <b>as </b>she held the scalpel.


    Suddenly, the operating room door swung open. Poppy turned to see a man wearing a silver mask and holding a gun. They were both momentarily stunned<b>. </b>Poppy quickly reacted and threw the scalpel at him,


    The man hade to confirm <b>if </b>Belinda <b>was </b>dead. He didn¡¯t expect anyone else to be in the room. Caught off guard, he couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was struck by the <b>scalpel</b>. He then copsed to the floor.


    The noise drew the attention of others.


    Soon, 20 armed men entered and stared at Poppy. Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Poppy couldn¡¯t fight them all alone. Gritting her teeth, she said coldly, ¡°How dare you harm Madam Hutchinson? You deserve to die!¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, the men fired at her simultaneously.


    Poppy¡¯s face fell. She leaped up and kicked over a nearby table to shield Belinda from the bullets. With a solemn expression, she retrieved another scalpel and hurled it like a spinning <b>de </b>at her attackers.


    As the men ducked to avoid it, Poppy seized the opportunity to charge forward and disarmed one of them. She then grabbed his gun before dashing out of the operating room and shooting at them.


    Her aim was precise. She urately took down an enemy with each shot. Realizing they were up against a formidable opponent, the men took <b>cover</b><b>, </b>and one sent out a signal for reinforcements.


    Despite having the upper hand, Poppy didn¡¯t rx. Belinda still needed her, and being entangled with these men was a hindrance. She knew she wasn¡¯t as skilled <b>as </b>Lily. She couldn¡¯t swiftly eliminate all of them in one go.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    10 Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The longer this dragged on, the more danger Belinda was in.


    Just as Poppy was at a loss, the opposing group suddenlyunched a full¨Cscale attack. Another group appeared from behind her, and her face turned pale. As she prepared to shoot, she suddenly heard gunfire from the corridor, distinct from the enemy¡¯s.


    Then, she saw silver needles flying through the air, embedding themselves in the attackers with pinpoint uracy.


    Soon, she saw Lily and Loid approaching. They looked like avenging demons from the underworld.


    Excited, Poppy dashed toward them. ¡°Lily!¡±


    The fury on Lily¡¯s <b>face </b>was unmistakable. She nearly snarled. ¡°Who asked you toe here? Get out!¡±


    ¡°Lily¡­¡± Poppy¡¯s voice wavered, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Without sparing her a nce, Lily coldly instructed Daniel, ¡°Take her away.¡±


    Not daring to refuse, Daniel promptly escorted Poppy out.


    Lily cast a cold nce at the bodies on the floor before stepping into the operating room. When she saw Belinda lying on the surgical bed, her steps. faltered. She pursed her lips, and her vision blurred.


    After a long silence, she approached Belinda.


    She took out a pill from her pocket and gave it to Belinda. She then retrieved her acupuncture kit and began to work with utmost seriousness.


    Loid closed the operating room door behind her. He knew Lily wanted no interruptions at this moment.


    Standing outside the door, he lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply before exhaling a cloud of smoke. ¡°Shaun, issue a citywide lockdown. No one is to leave their homes tonight.¡±


    Shaun nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    He nced toward the operating room, his expression unusually solemn. He vowed that anyone involved in tonight¡¯s events would face a <b>fate </b>worse than death.


    Lily had used the 13 Needles of Life before, but it was particrly challenging this time. Her hands trembled with each needle she ced.


    She poured all her vital energy into the silver needles. But after dozens of needles, Belinda showed no response.


    Lily¡¯s breathing grew heavier. She held a needle, unable to proceed for a long moment. Staring at Belinda¡¯s lifeless, pallid face, she took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. After a while, she steadied herself and continued.


    Sixty needlester, Belinda finally woke up.


    The 13 Needles of Life included an acupoint that stimted the central nervous system. The stimulus jolted Belinda awake.


    Opening her eyes, she saw Lily¡¯s cold face and managed a faint smile. ¡°Lily, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Lily¡¯s hand paused. She answered softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She continued her work, her face devoid of any extra emotion. She didn¡¯t even cast a nce at Belinda


    As she ced another needle, Belinda grabbed her hand. ¡°It¡¯s no use. The bullet was poisoned. I can¡¯t be saved¡±

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    Lily¡¯s hand froze. She lowered her head <b>and </b>pursed her lips.


    After a long moment, she looked up with a determined gaze. ¡°I can save you. I will save you!¡±


    Belinda pulled her close and patted her hand with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ve always known this day woulde. I can never escape it


    She nced out the window. The night was cold and dark, but Lily¡¯s <b>presence </b>brought warmth. Pointing to a nearby chair, she <b>said </b>softly, <b>have </b>some things to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Sit down. I


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Lily sat <b>down</b>.


    ¡°<b>Lily</b>, don¡¯t grieve for me, and don¡¯t seek revenge. Finish your studies and live <b>a </b><b>good </b>life.¡± Belinda sighed. ¡°I know you often don¡¯t <b>obey </b>my words, just like when you promised not to search for your father but secretly <b>did </b>so for years<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Lily kept her head down without saying a word.


    ¡°I never told you about the past because I didn¡¯t want you involved. They won¡¯t spare us, and your father <b>is </b>proof of that.¡± Belinda squeezed Lily¡¯s hand.


    ¡°<b>I </b>should¡¯ve died over 40 years <b>ago</b>. I only lived this long for your sake. Now, with Lold by your side<b>, </b>I can rest easy. Please, don¡¯t dig into the past or look for your father anymore. Pretend we never existed.¡±


    Lily exhaled slowly and looked up slightly. She questioned in a calm voice, ¡°Do you think that by not telling me, I won¡¯t find out? You¡¯ve spent your whole life avoiding and enduring them, but did it protect Dad or me


    ¡°What?¡± Belinda looked at her in shock. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    stood up. ¡°They took


    ¡°When I was ten, some people came loolding for you. You made an excuse to send me away, but I stayed and heard everything.¡± Lily Dad, <b>didn¡¯t </b>they? What exactly is the Bloodstone Emerald that they wanted you to hand over? Why would you rather die than give it to them?¡±


    Belinda tried to speak, but Lily cut her off, ¡°<b>You </b>knew this would happen. From the day I went to Bridgeport, you knew this was the endgame. Who were the families that did this to you?¡±


    Belinda¡¯s face fell. ¡°Stop making wild guesses. Just stay out of this.


    ¡°The Lauriers are involved,¡± Lily <b>said </b>coldly, interrupting her <b>again</b>.


    Belinda panicked ¡°This has nothing to do with <b>Loid</b>. Don¡¯t me him. He¡¯s been kind to me and to you. Now that you¡¯re already with him, don¡¯t let this affect your rtionship.¡±


    Lily smiled. ¡°<b>I¡¯ve </b>never misunderstood him¡±


    Belinda sighed in relied. ¡°That¡¯s good. I. Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Belinda¡¯s breathing suddenly becamebored. Seeing this, Lily¡¯s expression turned dark. She quickly tried to give Belinda a pill, but Belinda grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°There¡¯s something hidden in the statue of Lumina at home. Take it and keep it safe. If you can¡¯t keep it, destroy it. Never let it fall into the hands of the <b>Hidden </b>Families. Also¡­¡±


    Belinda¡¯s condition worsened, and her breathing became erratic. ¡°There¡¯s a box under my bed with information about your father. I¡­ know I can¡¯t stop you The future is in <b>your </b>hands,¡±


    With those words, Belinda¡¯s eyes slowly closed<b>, </b>and her arm fell limp.


    Lily stood there, staring at Belinda expressionlessly. Not a single tear fell from her eye.


    After a long while, she found a white cloth and gently covered Belinda with it.


    She let out a bitterugh. ¡°Death is a release for <b>you</b><b>, </b>isn¡¯t it?


    Suddenly, her smile vanished. ¡°But no one has the right to take your life from me!¡±


    Lily burned and opened the door to the operating room.


    Loid saw her emerge and nced at the <b>room</b>. The sight of the white cloth hit him hard. He wanted tofort Lily but didn¡¯t know how.


    Lily put <b>on </b>her baseball cap and looked at Daniel, who had just returned after taking Poppy away.


    ¡°Daniel, please make arrangements for my grandmother¡¯s funeral. Her voice was soft but firm, with no trace of emotion.


    Daniel¡¯s and Shan¡¯s faces fell. They wanted <b>to </b>say something but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    After a moment, Daniel took a <b>deep </b>breath. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    <b>Smiling</b>, Lily then tomed to Lold. ¡°Mr. Laurier, m?nd lending me your i


    rinfluence?

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Lily smiled. And with that smile, her charm blossomed, making her appear as radiant as the midday <b>sun</b>.


    Loid had never seen her smile like this before<b>. </b>


    He pressed his lips together. After a long pause, he said softly, ¡°Do whatever you need to. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said before turning to walk away.


    Loid, who was still worried about her being alone, nced over at Shaun. Shaun understood immediately. ¡°I know what to do!¡±


    Corpses were strewn everywhere outside the hospital. This was thergest incident Lagersfield City had seen in decades. There were barely any people alive left in the hospital.


    Not far away, a dense crowd continued to exchange gunfire.


    Arge number of outsiders had entered Lagersfield City, each armed and menacingly aggressive.


    Lily looked at the bodies scattered on the ground and tilted her head back. She drew <b>in </b><b>a </b>deep breath and then pulled out her phone to dial a number.¡± Lagersfield City Hospital, please send everyone over.


    After hanging up the phone, Lily saw Elijah being forced back by the attackers. She grabbed him without hesitation.


    Elijah turned his head and, upon seeing Lily<b>, </b>breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Reese, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Lily took off her baseball cap and removed her jacket. She then handed <b>him </b>a pouch filled with silver needles.


    He felt a jolt of anxiety. Before he could say anything, Lily shot forward like an arrow <b>from </b>a bow. She <b>moved </b>so swiftly that she was almost a blur. Everywhere she went, screams erupted<b>. </b>


    Lily managed to disarm hundreds of armed men with just her bare hands without using silver needles or a gun. She then treated her opponents like punching bags, her fists flying with incredible speed. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to react before they were beaten so badly and spat out blood.


    She took down one opponent, then moved on to the next. It was as if she had cast a spell. Though her enemies were fully capable of moving, they were rooted to <b>the </b>spot.


    They stood there likembs waiting to be ughtered, helpless against her onught.


    Seeing Lily in such a frenzy, Loid felt a sharp pain in his heart. He was a horrible fianc¨¦, failing to protect her as he should have. Not only had he failed, but he had also forced her to take action time and again.


    His fianc¨¦e should never have to face such bloodshed. He should¡¯ve been the one to deal with it.


    After a moment of silence, Loid took off his suit jacket and dashed forward like an arrow. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Wherever Lily was about to strike, he would step in and intercept her, inflicting a hundredfold more brutal punishment on her opponents. Eventually. she paused, and all she could see was him moving through the crowd.


    In mere moments, the densely packed crowd scattered.


    Those who weren¡¯t dead were left crippled

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    The entirety of Lagersfield City had be a ughterhouse.


    Those who came to provoke them nowy dead and cold on the ground.


    Loid moved like a demon from the depths of hell, striking down each opponent in quick session. Determined to spare Lily from having to fight, he acted so swiftly that the others didn¡¯t have time to react.


    No matter how many opponents he faced, he seemed tireless <b>as </b>he never paused to catch a break. Shaun, Daniel, and Elijah stood in ce, staring at the scene unfolding before them in stunned silence. Lily looked at the tall figure cutting through the crowd, her vision blurring


    Loid emerged from the <b>sea </b>of corpses, casually picked up his suit jacket, and slipped it on. He wrapped Lily tightly in his arms and said in a soft, gentle <b>voice</b>, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    She looked up at him and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Shaun drove Loid and Lily home, leaving Daniel to handle everything that remained. Maxwell, due to his status, couldn¡¯t stay at the scene and went directly to the funeral home.


    On the way back to Anmer Heights, Lily curled up in Loid¡¯s arms silently. Although he couldn¡¯t see her expression, he felt the dampness spreading across his chest from her tears. His face tightened with concern. ¡°Stop the car!¡±


    Shaun hit the brakes abruptly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Go help Daniel. We¡¯ll make our own way home,¡± Loid said, his hand resting gently on Lily¡¯s back.


    Sham frowned.


    ¡°Are you sure? You used up a lot of energy just now. If someone shows up¡­


    Before he could finish his sentence, Loid lifted his gaze, his entire demeanor radiating a cold, formidable pressure. His eyes, sharp and piercing like an eagle¡¯s, bore <b>into </b>Shaun with an icy intensity.


    A shiver ran down Shaum¡¯s spine as he quickly opened the car <b>door</b>. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    As the door closed, he exhaled a sigh of relief, patting his chest to calm his nerves. The look in Loid¡¯s eyes was terrifying¨Clike he was <b>ready </b><b>to </b>tear someone apart!


    After Shaun left, Loid tightened his hold on Lily.


    He remained silent and held her close. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Suddenly, the emotional dam inside her broke, and Lily began to sob uncontrobly. Throughout the time Loid had known her, he had never seen her cry. Seeing her in such distress now twisted his heart with pain.


    To everyone else, she was stubborn and refused to <b>show </b>any vulnerability. But at least in front of him, she could release her emotions without holding back. He patted her back gently, and a determined glint shed in his eyes.


    Belinda was the person she cared about the most, herst source of strength. Whoever dared to rake away what she cherished would pay dearly¨CLoid would make sure of it.


    Lily cried for a long time until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. Carefully, Loidid her down on the seat <b>and </b>started driving home. He drove very <b>slowly</b>, making sure the car didn¡¯t jostle or shake.


    When they arrived at Anmer Heights, Loid changed her clothes. Her outfit was soaked in blood, and she couldn¡¯t keep vigil for Belinda looking like that. Lily was still asleep, and Loid couldn¡¯t bring himself to wake her.


    She eventually got up at three in the morning.


    In truth, she hadn¡¯t really been sleeping. She just didn¡¯t want to move. She wanted to lie in bed, doing nothing and thinking about nothing.


    Loid was making phone calls on the <b>balcony</b>. Not wanting to disturb her, he stayed on the balcony to take the calls.


    Lily went downstairs, took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, and walked over to him. She drank the beer slowly in silence.


    He <b>nced </b>at her sideways, contemting whether to take the beer away. But after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he decided to let her be.


    Lily was in a bad mood, and if drinking helped her vent her feelings, he wouldn¡¯t stop her from doing so.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    After finishing the beer, Lily squeezed the can t with a firm grip, then looked up at the dark sky. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Loid. ¡°Take me to the funeral home<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lold put away his phone and draped a jacket over her shoulders


    When they arrived at the funeral home, Daniel had already taken care of all the arrangements.


    People who had heard the news were starting to gather. Some came out of respect for Lold while others came to support Lily.


    Joseph and Maxwell were there, and the Martinez family sent Liam as their representative. Yannick, Layton, Jaiden, and Duncan came to represent the Dalton family, the Weiss family, the Quinn family, and the Levenson family respectively.


    They came specifically to show their respect for Lily.


    Stefan and Mnie had arrived a few hours earlier. They headed straight to the funeral home upon hearing that Belinda <b>passed </b>away.


    Arthur couldn¡¯te due to his health, and none of the other family members of the Laurier family showed up.


    Several prominent figures were also there, attending our of respect for Loid.


    As soon as Lily arrived, Mnie hurried over. She took Lily¡¯s hand and patted it gently as her eyes glistened with tears ¡°Lily, I¡¯m¡­ so sorry for your loss.


    Mnie had manyforting words on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t say any of them.


    Lily didn¡¯t needfort.


    ¡°Thanks, Mnie,¡± Lily responded calmly, her gaze steady.


    There was no sign of grief on her face as if the person in the <b>casket </b>wasn¡¯t her beloved grandmother.


    Mnie decided not to say anything else to Lily.


    Lily changed into dark clothing and thanked each person who came to pay their respects. Joseph and Maxwell both wanted to <b>offer </b>words of support, but eventually, they just patted her shoulder and remained silent. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Duncan, who was usually nonchnt and carefree, put away his usual yful demeanor. He looked at Lily with genuine concern. ¡°Just let me know if you need anything, Lily. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to help, no matter the risk.¡±


    Lily looked up and smiled brightly at him. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Her smile was radiant, but Duncan felt a sharp pain in his heart as if a thorn was lodged there. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out


    Throughout the gathering, Lily maintained a calm demeanor. Though her usual powerful presence was subdued, people still felt reluctant to speak much with her. After paying their respects, they gradually left.


    At that moment, Daniel, who was outside managing the arrivals, noticed a group approaching from a distance. His expression changed.


    He quickly gave instructions to someone nearby and walked over to Lily, whispering in her ear, ¡°Ms. Brooks, the Hutchinson family is here.¡±


    Lily turned her head slightly. ¡°Which Hutchinson family?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the influential Hutchinson family who have beenying low this whole time,¡± he replied honestly.


    He was as surprised <b>as </b>anyone to see the members of the Hutchinson family.


    The Hutchinsons were seldom seen by the public and never involved themselves in the power struggles of the elite families. Thus, Belinda¡¯s funeral seemed extremely unusual


    their presence at


    Lily was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes narrowed sharply. She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see them.¡±


    The Hutchinson family members were being held back outside.


    ¡°Please tell them we¡¯re from the Hutchinson family here to pay respects to Madan Hutchinson.¡±


    The ones who hade were the younger members of the Hutchinson family.


    ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t want to see you. Please leave!¡± Lily stood with her hands sped behind her back. Though her tone was polite, her voice was cold as


    They shivered instinctively


    The our leading the group looked at Lily with a sh of admiration in his eyes.


    It took him a moment to regain hisposure. ¡°<b>You </b>must be Lily, Madam <b>Hutchinson¡¯s </b>granddaughter, right? Hello, I¡¯m your <b>great </b>uncle¡¯s grandson. By family librarchy, I¡¯m also your cousin, Collin Hutchinson.¡±

 Chapter 253

    Chapter <b>253 </b>


    Hearing this, Lily lifted her eyes and suddenlyughed. Her smile wasced with cold elegance and a hint of mockery. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and <b>Collin</b>. With a swift moment, she pinched his chin between her fingers. ¡°Cousin? Do you really thinit you deserve to be my cousin?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± He was furious and tried to pull away, but her grip was surprisingly strong. He couldn¡¯t move at all.


    After a moment of silence<b>, </b>Collin said <b>again</b><b>, </b>¡°Regardless of what you think, Madam Hutchinson is from the Hutchinson family. That¡¯s unchangeable. Even though she betrayed the <b>family</b>, the fact that we¡¯re <b>here </b>to pay our respects after her death should be seen as a gesture of goodwill. You should be grateful.¡±


    Loid, Shaun, and Daniel were taken aback by Collin¡¯s words.


    They never expected Belinda to be a part of the Hutchinson family, which was influential and low¨Ckey.


    Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed, focusing intently on Collin¡¯s face. He became lost in thought.


    He had always suspected that <b>Belinda¡¯s </b>background wasn¡¯t ordinary, but he hadn¡¯t guessed that she was from the Hutchinson family. No wonder a woman who had always lived a quiet life in the countryside would be the target of such a dangerous and borate plot


    If Belinda was indeed from the Hutchinson family, everything seemed to make more sense.


    He recalled that David had seven legitimate children¨Cfive sons and two daughters. One daughter was the head of the third branch of the Hutchinson family, and her children were all exceptional.


    Although the Hutchinson family rarely made a public appearance, the third branch of the family was quite active.


    Among <b>the </b>children, the youngest daughter had disappeared for 50 years. It was said that she had betrayed the family and they disowned her, though the specifics remained unclear to him for now.


    It seemed that Belinda was the one who <b>was </b>disowned.


    Loid stroked his chin, his <b>eyes </b>deep with thought.


    The Hutchinson family had not sought out Belinda for over 50 years. So, why were they appearing now, after her death?


    Could they really be here to pay respects?


    It was very unlikely for them to do so.


    ¡°Grandma wouldn¡¯t want to see anyone from the Hutchinson family,¡± Lily said, her eyes lifting slightly, revealing a sharp glint. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause a scene at her funeral. You have one minute to leave<b>.</b>¡±


    Her voice was calm, yet <b>Collin </b>felt a chill run down his spine.


    Collin¡¯s expression turned more rigid. After <b>a </b><b>long </b>pause, he finally forced out a few words, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want us to pay our respects, we¡¯ll leave. But I need to convey a message from Grandpa.


    ¡°He said that you¡¯re from the Hutchinson family, so you should return to the family one day. My name¡¯s Collin. Don¡¯t forget it. We¡¯ll meet again.¡± With that, Collin left with his people, leaving the funeral home in peace once more.


    For the next three days, Lily never ate nor drank as she kept Belinda¡¯spany. Loid stayed by her side the entire time.


    Shaun and Daniel wanted to stay and support them as well, but Loid insisted they focus on the many pressing matters that still needed their attention. Over the three days, Stefan and Mnie had tried to persuade them, but they both refused. Eventually, both of them had to respect Loid and Lily¡¯s wishes. Many people came to pay their respects during this period


    Joseph and Maxwell came every day, but they never said a word to Lily. They would just leave quietly after paying their respects.


    On the third day, Belinda wasid to rest


    Poppy and Bobby also came.


    After paying her respects to Belinda, Poppy approached Lily, her voice choked with emotion. ¡°Lily, let us help you put Madam Hutchinson to her resting ce!¡±


    In the past three days, Lilly hadn¡¯t allowed them toe out, so they had been unable to pay their respects until now,

 Chapter 254

    Chapter <b>254 </b>


    After much persuasion and pleasing from Maxwell, Lily finally allowed Poppy and Bobby toe.


    Poppy had been crying every day, causing her eyes to be so swollen that they were narrow slits. She desperately wanted to apany Belinda on <b>her </b>final journey.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lily wmured, her head bowed and her voice devoid of warmth.


    The cemetery was chosen by Stefan and Mnie personally. It was located in a prime area and was well¨Cconstructed. To prevent desecration or disturbances to Belinda¡¯s grave, Stefan added an extrayer of protection.


    It was already noon by the time everything was settled.


    Poppy stood behind Lily, her heart aching as she looked at Lily¡¯s trail and solitary figure. 1.ily always masked her vulnerability, presenting a fa?ade of strength.


    Belinda was such a kind


    person. Why diditate always seem to be so cruel to ber?


    Shifting her gaze to Loid, a cold glint shed in Poppy¡¯s eyes. She thought bitterly that he had failed to protect Lily. So, he didn¡¯t deserve to be with her.


    Stefan and Mnie were worried about Lily¡¯s condition and took her back to Anmer Heights personally.


    ¡°Lily, Stefan and I will talk to your school and arrange for some time off. You should take <b>a </b>few days to rest. Let Loid take you on a trip in a few <b>days </b>to take your mind off things.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t pass the university entrance exams this year. You can repeat a year if you want to continue studying. But if you don¡¯t want to study, that¡¯s fine too. You should do whatever <b>makes </b>you happy.¡±


    Mnie was worried that Lily might remain trapped in her grief, unable to move <b>on</b><b>. </b>She didn¡¯t dare to bring up Belinda in the conversation as she knew how painful it was to Lily.


    Mnie thought that the best way to help Lily was to encourage her to take a break.


    Lily gave her a poised smile. Thanks<b>, </b>Mnie. But there¡¯s no need to arrange a leave for me. I¡¯ll go back to school <b>tomorrow</b>.¡±


    ¡°But.. <b>Are </b>you sure?¡± Mnie¡¯s voice wavered with concern <b>as </b>she looked at Lily, worried about her emotional <b>state</b>.


    ¡°Grandma wanted me to <b>graduate</b>,¡± Lily replied softly. Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mnie paused for a moment and then nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then go back to school. But please<b>, </b>take care of yourself. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mnie sensed that Lily wasn¡¯t in the mood for further conversation, so she and Stefan took their leave.


    Lily, needing to organize Belinda¡¯s belongings, went upstairs


    In the living room on the first floor, Shaun and Daniel sat across from Loid, their expressions somber..


    <b>Shaun </b>nced toward the staircase leading to the second floor, his brows furrowing ¡°Mr. Laurier, have you noticed that Lily has changed?¡±


    Loud slightly raised <b>his </b>gaze. Leaning back on the couch, he held a cup in one hand, his expression <b>calm</b>. ¡°Yeah, I have.¡±


    ¡°Madam Hutchinson¡¯s death hit her hard. I have a feeling she¡¯s going to do something big,¡± Shaun remarked as he rubbed his earlobe, his face heavy with concern


    Loud¡¯s eyes drifted toward the second floor. He was lost in thought for a moment.


    Then, he looked back at Shaun and Daniel. ¡°How¡¯s the investigationing along?¡±


    Daniel straightened up and responded, ¡°It¡¯s quite a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed, his demeanor instantly changing.


    Daniel shivered slightly and hurriedly <b>said</b>, ¡°I¡¯ve checked possible channels to the hospital and the Medical Research Institute, but there¡¯s no trace at all. ¡°The hospital¡¯s surveince was malfunctioning that day, and there was only one person on duty at the pharmacy. He confirmed that no one entered the hospital that day.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he continued, ¡°The special antidotes in the Medical Research Institute were taken by a mysterious figure. No one in the institute is saying anything about it, and there¡¯s no record of the antidotes being taken. It¡¯s like these people never existed¡­


    ¡°Moreover, the underground forces of the ten cities surrounding Lagersfield City attacked that night. All ten cities were taken over by someone, and this person¡¯s identity is mysterious. After several days of investigation, all I found was ¡®Mr. Ken. ¡°¡±


    After pausing for a moment, Daniel continued seriously, ¡°It seems Ms. Brooks¡® identity has been exposed, and this ¡®Mr. Ken¡® guy is targeting her.¡±


    Lold squinted, <b>pondered </b>for a moment, and then stood up. ¡°Deploy all our resources on the dark web and Infiltrate these ten <b>cities</b>. I need the most urate Intelligence. Also, monitor the movements of the Laurler, Knight, Levenson, and <b>Woodley </b>families. Let me know it something is going on.¡±

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Daniel and Shan were stunned. Weren¡¯t they just discussing Lily? How did it <b>suddenly </b>shift to the Four Great Families?


    However<b>, </b>Daniel didn¡¯t ask further and simply nodded. ¡°Understood¡±


    Lold lit a cigarette and looked out window, his gaze intense. ¡°A storm¡¯s brewing¡±


    o Madam


    Shwan¡¯s heart skipped <b>a </b>beat. ¡°Do you mean someone¡¯s ming to move against the Four Great Families? But how <b>is </b>this rted to Max Hutchinson¡¯s death?¡±


    Loid turned around, his eyes deep and thoughtful. ¡°She was from the Hutchinson family.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t she disowned by them?¡± Shaan was puzzled. ¡°And besides, she¡¯s already dead. What more use could she have?¡±


    Loid said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s Lily. With the Hutchinson family¡¯s capabilities, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to uncover Lily¡¯s true <b>identity</b>. Even if she hides her background, her medical skills alone have made some people wary.¡±


    <b>Shaun </b>seemed to recall something and then said, ¡°Are <b>you </b>saying that the <b>Hutchinson </b>family¡¯s nning to make a move against the Four Great Families?


    ¦§


    just them,¡± Loid replied, finishing his cigarette and lighting another. He paused for a moment and contemted. ¡°Do you remember the mass poisoning case involving tea thousand people?¡°¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember!¡± Shaun¡¯s face twisted with <b>anger </b>at the mention of the case. ¡°That was the most vicious and brutal <b>case </b><b>I </b>had ever encountered in my career. Ten thousand people across 20 viges, poisoned overnight, their limbs severed and boiled in high¨Cpressure cookers<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Shaus could still vividly recall the horrific scene. The ground was littered with remains, not a single intact body among the dead.


    Even <b>now</b>, they hadn¡¯t found the perpetrators. This case had left a deep scar on him, and he was determined to catch the culprits to see what kind of monsters couldmit such atrocities.


    ¡°Of the ten thousand people, five thousand had their bodies left intact. But when it came to processing the bodies, <b>those </b>five thousand simply went missing,¡± Loid said, his voice chillingly calm.


    ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s still no trace of them to this day.¡± Shaun <b>nodded</b>.


    Then, his head snapped up. ¡°Are you saying that the mastermind behind that massacre is connected to Madam Hutchinson¡¯s death? And this same person is now targeting the Four Great Families?


    ¡°Does that mean the Hidden Families like the Albotts, the Quinns, the Reaves, and the McKees are actually being manipted by this person? What¡¯s their goal? If they¡¯re the ones who took the five thousand bodies, what use could they possibly have for them?¡±


    ¡°Madan Hutchinson must have had something they desperately wanted,¡± Loid spected, turning his gaze upstairs. ¡°As for the Hidden Families, they¡¯re being used as pawns by this mysterious <b>figure</b><b>.</b>¡±


    He suddenly remembered something important. He <b>quicldy </b>extinguished his cigarette <b>and </b>issued a tersemand<b>, </b>¡°Send people to Driftwood Bay and secure Lily¡¯s house at once. No one is to enter or leave.¡±


    Shaun¡¯s features tightened with urgency. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡±


    ¡°Tell the yers toe back and have them head to Driftwood Bay Immediately. All members should make haste! With those orders, Loid turned and headed upstairs.


    Lily had just finished sorting through Belinda¡¯s belongings. She was holding an old photograph, staring at it nkly


    It was the <b>only </b>photo of her and Belinda together. Belinda had never liked being photographed, and neither did she. This particr photo was taken by Poppy on Lily¡¯s tenth birthday.


    She thought the photo looked quite nice and kept it.


    Just then, Loid entered the room. He went to the closet, retrieved Lily¡¯s <b>coat</b>, and draped it over her shoulders. His voice was low and serious. ¡°We need to go to Driftwood Bay now.¡±


    Lily¡¯s body tensed slightly, but she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As they drove to Driftwood Bay, Shaun was on his phone, constantly coordinating and mobilizing personnel.


    Lily leaned against the car window, her expression distant and <b>cold</b>. She was lost in thought.


    Suddenly, her phone rang Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°K, I¡¯m here. There are a lot of people around your house. From what I can see, there me at least four different groups of people. Do you want me to take care of them? Hawk¡¯s voice sounded at the other end of the phone.


    She had previously received a call from Llly, asking her to bring back the special antidote from Mardonia. Unfortunately, by the time Hawk arrived, it was already toote to save Belinda,


    Following Lily¡¯s new Instructions, Hawk drove directly to Driftwood Bay to guard her house and ensure no one could enter. The journey took her <b>two </b>grueling <b>days </b>due to theck <b>of </b>direct <b>fights </b>or trains and the challenging terrain she had to navigate.


    Lily adjusted her baseball cap, pulling it down further over her eyes. Her voice carried a hint of icy determination. ¡°No. Leave them be as long as they


    Chapter 255


    don¡¯t enter ¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Hawk replied, her tone fierce and unwavering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take your time. I¡¯ve got this covered. Anyone trying to take anything from here will have to get through me first, and they¡¯d better be damn sure they can do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 256

    y


    Chapter 256


    Hawk¡¯s abilities were something Lily could trust without question.


    Being in the Reaper <b>unit </b>in Alchos meant that all of them had faced life and death together. Their bond was such that if one was in trouble, the others would risk everything to help.


    However, Lily hadn¡¯t called Leopard or Venom this time. Their identities were too sensitive, making them unsuitable for this particr situation.


    By the time Lily and her group arrived at Driftwood Bay, two days had passed


    ? ?? ? ? *?? ?? ??? ??


    Before their arrival, her contacts from Aeston and Loid¡¯s people had already reached the vige. Driftwood Bay was now filled with a strange undercurrent. Unfamiliar faces moved in and out, their intentions cloaked in ambiguity. All had their eyes set on Lily¡¯s home.


    The entire vige seemed to be holding its breath, the tension palpable


    Standing in the heart of the vige, Lily removed her baseball cap. Her cold, sharp gaze swept over the strangers who were lurking around her <b>home</b>. After a long, silent observation, she turned and walked toward her house nonchntly as if daring anyone to stop her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give all of you one minute to leave or die!¡± Her voice was devoid of any warmth<b>, </b>as cold and merciless as <b>ice</b>, N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The atmosphere seemed to freeze around her. Despite the tangible threat in her voice, the strangers watching her didn¡¯t move an inch.


    Lily halted at the entrance of her house, her face as cold as ice. ¡°Daniel, take them down!¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Alright.¡± He raised his hand and signaled


    Instantly, a wave of people in ck emerged from the shadows. They moved with precision, their strikes swift and decisive. The air was filled with the sounds of struggle and cries of pain.


    Unfazed by themation outside, Lily stepped into the house


    Inside, Hawk, who had been on high alert, immediately stood up when she heard the door open. Her eyes were sharp and her body tense. She was ready for a


    rany threat that might enter.


    The door creaked open, revealing the person <b>who </b><b>st </b>


    stepped inside. Hawk froze for a moment, taken <b>aback </b>by the sight.


    ¡°You?¡± Hawk uttered, her voiceced with surprise.


    Standing before her <b>was </b>a girl with extraordinary beauty, her features breathtaking and her presencemanding an ley authority. Despite her youthful appearance, there was an undeniable air of strength and power that radiated from her, creating an oppressive atmosphere in the room.


    Hawk¡¯s brows knitted together. She could sense that this girl was formidable¨Cpossibly beyond her capabilities. This girl¡¯s demeanor <b>didn¡¯t </b>match that of the usual vigers.


    Could she be K? A sliver of doubt flickered across <b>Hawk¡¯s </b>mind.


    It was impossible


    Hawk dismissed the thought. How could K be a mere teenager?


    Lily nodded at her, then introduced Loid and the others<b>, </b>¡°This is my friend, Hannah.¡±


    Upon hearing her real name, Hawk¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as the only person who knew her real name was Lily.


    pressure she felt from the girl was because she was the renowned K.


    So, this p


    Damn!


    Hawk stared at Lily, her mind reeling. The world had just taken a surreal twist.


    A young girl in her teens was K, th


    the highest¨Cranking member of Alchos Elite Four. If Leopard and Venom found out, they¡¯d probably lose their minds! Loid acknowledged Hawk with a polite nod. ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± she responded, quick


    regaining herposure.


    As <b>one </b>of the Elite Four members, she was used to handling surprises and high¨Cpressure situations. She realized that K was cautious enough not to use her code name in front of Loid, which suggested there wereyers <b>of </b>discretion at y.


    Thus, she decided to follow suit <b>and </b>refrain from any mention of K¡¯s code name


    After the brief introductions, Lily urged them <b>to </b><b>have </b>a seat while she entered Belinda¡¯s room

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    The house <b>had </b>been untouched for a long time, and a thinyer of dust had settled over everything.


    Lily stood in the room, taking in the familiar furnishings. Her eyes stung with a hint of sadness. After a moment, she steadied her emotions and found a box hidden underneath a statue of Launina.


    There was a key underneath the box. She used it to open the box and took out what <b>was </b>inside. It was a Bloodstone Emerald. Lily didn¡¯t know much about it, but she knew Belinda died because of it.


    Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it. What exactly was this thing?


    Belinda was in her 70s and didn¡¯t have many years to live. Why did they choose to kill her now and yet leave the Bloodstone Emerald behind?


    The people who killed Belinda were different from the ones currently in Driftwood Bay.


    After Belinda¡¯s death, Lily used every possible channel to investigate those responsible, but it was as if they had never existed as not a <b>trace </b><b>could </b>be found.


    Lily gripped the Bloodstone Emerald tightly, a cold glint shing in her eyes. She swore that as long as she was alive, she wouldn¡¯t let them escape and would pursue them to the ends of the earth to make sure Belinda got her justice,


    She then tucked it away and retrieved a small box from beneath the bed.


    There were numerous items inside the box, mostly documents. However, these were not just any documents¨Cthey were detailed records of the Hutchinson family.


    These documents contained the <b>family¡¯s </b>demographics, their business ventures over the years, personal details of each family member, and even the smallest intricacies, down to the family dog.


    It turned out Belinda had been secretly investigating the Hutchinson family all this time.


    <b>She </b>had never shared any of this information with Lily. Even the fact that she was part of the Hutchinson family was something Lily discovered while investigating her father, Kingsley Brooks¡®, disappearance.


    However, the information she managed to <b>uncover </b>was minimal. The Hutchinson family was far more powerful than she had imagined. Despite her exceptional hacking abilities, she couldn¡¯t uncover everything about the Hutchinson family. Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Belinda, on the other hand, seemed to have detailed knowledge about them. It appeared that she had kept many things hidden from Lily.


    But how did the information about the Hutchinson family rte <b>to </b>Kingsley¡¯s disappearance?


    After a moment of silence, Lily packed up the documents and left the house.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she nced around the room, her gaze somewhat dark


    Loid sensed her reluctance to leave the ce and patted her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you whenever you want toe back.¡±


    Lily


    Lily turned her head slightly and smiled faintly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As they reached the door, they saw vigers standing outside. A middle¨Caged woman approached Lily with teary eyes.


    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re back? We heard about your grandmother¡­ Don¡¯t be <b>sad</b><b>. </b><b>We¡¯re </b>your family from now on. Just let us know if you have any difficulties ¡± ¡°Mrs. Levine!¡± Lily¡¯s cold expression finally cracked into a slight smile. ¡°Are you doing well?¡± Her smile was genuine, filled with sincere emotions. Loid thought to himself that Driftwood Bay must hold a special ce in Lily¡¯s heart.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Lacy Levine said, patting Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here for <b>a </b>couple more days? I¡¯ll make your favorite strawberry shortcake.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I have things to do. I must leave,¡± Lily said as she looked at everyone. ¡°Take care of yourselves.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the vige chief hurriedly said, ¡°Are you in such a hurry to leave? It¡¯s been a long time since you came back. Everyone really misses


    <b>you</b>.¡±

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    ¡°I still have <b>school</b><b>, </b>and <b>the </b>SATs areing up <b>soon</b>,¡± Lily replied.


    ¡°Then at least stay the night before leaving. Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Windfrey, Mrs. Levine, and Mrs. Campbell think about you every day,¡± the vige chief


    sald


    He pulled Lily aside and said softly, ¡°There are a lot of outsiders here in the vige. There was a fight earlier, <b>so </b>it¡¯s not safe for you to go out at this time.


    She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s alright, sir. They wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°I know that you have some skills, but you¡¯re a girl. How can I not worry about your safety if you just leave like this?¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Lily, when your grandmother came to Driftwood Bay, I could tell from her clothes that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. As you grew up, I could also tell that you¡¯re the same as her. So, the outsiders, <b>they¡¯re </b>actually here for you, right?¡±


    Lily pressed her lips together and remained silent.


    ¡°We watched you grow up. Although you¡¯re usually reserved, you¡¯ve always been kind to us. Now that your grandmother has passed away, we can¡¯t let anything happen to you.


    ¡°Stay the night, and we¡¯ll gather some people to drive them away. You can leave once it¡¯s safe,¡± the vige chief said with earnest concern.


    Lily had always been somewhat peculiar <b>in </b>personality. No one was willing to be her friend, apart from the children in the vige. No one understood her, but the people in the vige knew she was <b>a </b>good child.


    She had always been different from other children since childhood. She learned things quickly and started earning money on her <b>own </b>at the age of ten. Although no one knew how she made money, whatever she earned, she used to support poor <b>families </b>in the vige. She only kept enough for herself and Belinda¡¯s living expenses. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    If anyone bullied the vigers, she was always the first to step forward.


    In the past, Driftwood Bay <b>was </b>looked down upon by people from neighboring viges. But in recent years, with Lily around, no one dared to disrespect them, and their lives improved.


    The vigers regarded her not only as their savior but also as their own child.


    When th


    When they heard of her return today and the arrival of many outsiders in the vige, the vige chief <b>sensed </b>something amiss and gathered everyone. Lily had helped them with so much, and now with Belinda gone, she was alone. He couldn¡¯t allow anyone to mistreat her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of Lily, sir,¡± Loid spoke up, noticing Lily¡¯s dilemma.


    The vige chief looked at him, puzzled. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Loid, Lily¡¯s fianc¨¦,¡± he replied politely,


    Lacy became nervous as <b>soon </b>as she heard this. ¡°So, you¡¯re the fianc¨¦ that Susan wanted to marry Lily off to? I remember you wanted to marry Shannon, right? It was because Shannon rejected you that Lily ended up marrying into your family. Can you even treat Lily right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Lily¡¯s precious to everyone here in this vige. If you can¡¯t treat her right, then let her go. None of us here will let you off the hook if you dare to mistreat her,¡± Cathy Campbell added.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re very wealthy. Wealthy men tend to y around with women. Are you one of them too?¡± Winnie Windfrey questioned.


    Loid remained silent, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Reese¡¯s protective shield was quite formidable. Winning these people over would likely <b>require </b>some effort.


    Shaun and Daniel <b>were </b>dumbfounded.


    was the first time they had seen someone speak to Loid like that, and he didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Hawk looked at Lold, stroking her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll spend my whole life treating Lily well. You can do as you please to me if I ever mistreat her,¡± Loid said sincerely. Lily nced at him sideways and silently withdrew


    wher raz


    gaze. ¡°Sir, he¡¯ll protect me. I


    I¡¯ll be fine, so please don¡¯t worry..


    Ie back to visit when I have


    Upon seeing this, the vige chief didn¡¯t press further. ¡°Alright then. Just be sure to stay safe. ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Lily bade farewell to the vigers and left with Loid and the others.


    As they approached the vige entrance, Lily stopped in her tracks,


    will get away with it. She lifted her gaze slightly and scanned her surroundings coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a rush. I¡¯lle after you personally. None of you Though her voice was soft, it carried clearly to the outsiders who were hidden around her. Her icy, bone¨Cchilling tone sent shivers down their spines. In an instant, countless shadows flickered from the surroundings and vanished.


    The car was halfway through the journey back to Lagersfield City when Hawk¡¯s voice came from the back seat right after exiting the highway at Acsion. Stop the car.¡±


    The vehicle came to a halt, and Lily turned back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°I get off here. Hawk slung her bag over her shoulder, her leather <b>jacket </b>giving her an air of carefree nonchnce. ¡°You guys stay safe. Call me if you need anything¡±


    <b>Loid¡¯s </b>eagle¨Clike eyes lingered on How for a moment before he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing back with us, Ms. Hannah<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hawk replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got some other things to take care of ¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t insist.¡± Loid reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to her.


    ¡°Contact this person if you run into any trouble. He¡¯ll assist you.¡±


    Hawk <b>nced </b>at the name on the card, her pupils constricting slightly as her fingers stiffened. She was unsure if she should ept it.


    After a long pause, she finally coolt the card. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll reach out if I need to.¡±


    Lily also noticed the came on the card, her eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. However<b>, </b>she remained silent.


    After Hawk left, she propped her head on one hand and leaned against the car door, her gaze wanderingzily over Loid. She was rxed, almost nonchnt.


    The name on the card Loid had given to Hawk belonged to Venom. Lily couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had somehow pieced together Hawk¡¯s identity. Despite her curiosity, Lily appreciated that he hadn¡¯t pressed for details, leaving the matter neither confirmed nor denied. Rubbing her temples, she felt a surge of irritation What exactly was the deep¨Cseated animosity between Loid and Venom that drove them to such lengths?


    Caught in the middle, Lily found herself in a difficult position. She was unable to fully side with either,


    Sensing her gaze, Loid turned his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of mischief. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lily replied as she shifted her gaze away. She pulled her baseball cap down over her face and settled into sleep


    The car continued to drive smoothly down the road. It wasn¡¯t until her soft, even breathing signaled that she had fallen asleep that Shaun finally broke the silence. ¡°Loid, do you think Hannah looks familiar?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Loid leaned against the car window, his hand loosely holding Lily¡¯s. He was in a rxed posture, and his voice held no


    It was likely because Lily hadn¡¯t been sleeping well these past few days that she was now sleeping so soundly.


    Shaun rubbed his chin and tried to jog his memory. ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out who she reminds me of.¡±


    ¡°Hawk,¡± Loid <b>said</b>, azy smile ying on his lips.


    emotion.


    He never would have given her Venom¡¯s business card if he hadn¡¯t harbored this suspicion. He wanted to gauge Hawk¡¯s reaction, and herposed response only confirmed that she was no ordinary person. She hadn¡¯t shown the slightest hint of recognition or unease.


    Reflecting on this, Loid¡¯s gaze shifted to Lily. A subtle smile curved his usually cold lips.


    No wonder Venom had vanished as soon as they arrived in Bridgeport. Despite all their efforts, they couldn¡¯t find a trace of him anywhere. It seemed that <b>the </b><b>key </b><b>to </b>this mysteryy with Lily.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Shaun <b>pped </b>his hand on his knee. ¡°I remember now, she¡¯s Hawk. Back when we hired her to disguise Ken, she might have been wearing makeup, but the air she <b>gave </b>off was unmistakable. The way she carried herself, her build¨Cthey¡¯re the same as Hawk¡¯s.¡±


    Shaun was known for his sharp memory. Given that Hawk was one of the Elite Four of Alchos, he had taken special note of her. Her distinctive features and presence were hard to forget.


    As he ced it together, <b>a </b>sudden thought struck him. He eximed, ¡°Holy cray! If Hawk is actually Hannah, then how on earth does Lily know her?¡± From the driver¡¯s seat, Daniel nced over at Shaun with a hint of impatience. ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? Ms. Brooks is the infamous Reese of Aeston and Lagersfield¨Cshe¡¯s the miracle¨Cworking doctor. Is it really that strange for her to know Hawk?¡±


    Very Lew have


    ¡°Dut Hawk is one of the Elite Four of Alchos, Shaun continued, his tone growing more serious. ¡°The Elite <b>Four </b>are practically ghosts. Very som their true faces. We haven¡¯t even had the privilege for that. Lily¡¯s incredible, but her knowing someone like Hawk from <b>Alchos </b>is pretty usual.¡±


    Shaun paused, a dawning suspicion creeping i into his voice. ¡°Could it be that¡­ she¡¯s one of <i>the </i>Elite Four?¡±


    Chapter 259 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Loid turned his gaze to Lily, who was sleeping beside him. His eyes darkened with that thought, a myriad of possibilities swirling in their depths.


    Daniel nced over at Shaun, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.


    Given Lily¡¯s abilities, it wouldn¡¯t be too far¨Cfetched to think that she could be involved with Alchos.


    ¡°If she¡¯s one of the Elite Four, who do you think she could be? <b>Shaun </b>pondered aloud, rubbing his chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯s Venom. Thest time we were chasing him, Lily was with Loid. And she probably isn¡¯t Leopard either as the International Police are currently hunting him in Freega¡­¡°.


    Shaun massaged his temples in contemtion. ¡°She could be Hawk. But if she¡¯s Hawk, then who was that woman just now?¡±


    sinc


    Loid snapped out of his reverie, casting a cool nce at Shaun. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should worry about.¡±


    Sham shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit curious.¡±


    ¡°How many people from the Stygian Network have returned?¡± Lold turned his gaze to the window, his deep eyes reflecting a calm yet intense focus.


    ¡°All of the yers have been called back,¡± Shaun replied, his demeanor shifting to seriousness as the topic turned to business.


    ¡°They¡¯re following your orders to protect Lily from the shadows. <b>The </b>rest of our team is still in Freega. Recently, Antoine has been unusually interested in us, making it difficult to pull our people out.¡±


    Loid nodded in agreement. ¡°Pull Ken out of that situation first. Suspend all operations in Freeqa for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Ken is already on his way back. He should arrive tomorrow,¡± Shaun replied.


    ¡°Have him head straight to Bridgeport.¡± Loid¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice carrying a cold edge. ¡°<b>And </b>you, pack whatever you need. You¡¯re going to Bridgeport tomorrow <b>as </b>well. I need you to monitor the Hutchinson family. Investigate their recent contacts and activities.¡±


    Loid had initially nned to use Stygian Network to keep tabs on the Hidden Families and the Great Four Families in Bridgeport. However, with the International Police¡¯s attention on their operations, getting everyone back from Freega wasn¡¯t feasible.


    He needed to stay close to Lily to ensure her safety, which left Shaun to handle the surveince in Bridgeport.


    Understanding the gravity of the task, Shaun nodded firmly. ¡°You can count on me. I¡¯ll keep a tight watch on them.¡±


    The car pulled up at the entrance to Anmer Heights, but Lily was still asleep.


    She was exhausted <b>from </b>the past few days. She didn¡¯t stir even as they arrived. Loid, not wanting to disturb her, gently lifted her from the car.


    As they reached the door, he nced back at Shaun. ¡°Don¡¯t just focus on the Hutchinson family. Use this time to set up a secure defensework. In the <b>short </b>term, <b>I </b>don¡¯t want anyone disrupting Lily¡¯s peace.¡±


    Shun agreed,

 Chapter 260

    ¡°Alright¡±


    Chapter 260


    The next day, Lily went to school as usual.


    Her presence was immediately noticed as soon n as she stepped onto the campus.


    ¡°Lily¡¯s <b>back</b>!¡± someone shouted from the crowd.


    Excited voices quickly followed. ¡°It¡¯s really Lily! She¡¯s finally back!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Ember Creek would¡¯ve been turned upside down if she hadn¡¯te back.¡±


    Lily pulled her baseball cap lower, her expression cold and distant. The air she exuded was even more formidable than before. She radiated a powerful and oppressive energy that was hard to ignore.


    She remained unfazed by <b>the </b>whispers around her and headed straight to ss 18.


    The students in her ss wanted to greet her, but the intense pressure around her made them hesitate. No one dared to approach her.


    She walked to her seat and casually hung her bag <b>on </b>the back of her chair.


    Anya hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and Lily wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to anyone either. She put on her oversized headphones, rested her head on the desk, and fell sleep. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Sean


    who was s


    sitting in the back row, was initially tired. Upon seeing Lily, he instantly perked up. He had just thought of approaching her when the bell for ss rang, so he had to give up.


    Lily slept through until the end of morning sses without anyone disturbing her.


    <b>What </b>mattered the most was her outstanding midterm exam scores, which was why the teachers consciously gave her some leniency.


    Stretchingzily, she prepared to get up and <b>go </b>for lunch, only to find that Anya wasn¡¯t here. Normally, Anya would wait for her to go to the cafeteria together. She turned her head to look forn, only to find that he wasn¡¯t here either.


    Lily narrowed her eyes and saw Sean ting in his seat, looking <b>uneasy</b>. She gestured for him toe over. ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°Huh<b>?</b>¡± Sean was startled as he was suddenly called out and quickly stood up. ¡°L¨CLily, are you talking to me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t usually exchange words with her, but he had wanted to look for her today. It was just that he couldn¡¯t find the opportunity.


    Now that he was suddenly called upon, he was a little bewildered.


    ¡°Where did Anya andn go?¡± Lily leaned backzily in her chair.,


    ¡°T¨CThey Sean¡¯s gaze shifted around as he lowered his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    She tilted her head, her eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°You really <b>don¡¯t </b>know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t.¡± He took a deep breath, steadying himself.


    Lily nced at him meaningfully. After a moment, she stood up abruptly. ¡°Alright.¡±


    With that, she left the ssroom without looking back


    At that moment, only Sean and a boy with a buzz cut remained in ss 18.


    The boy sat beside him and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Lily that Anya and Tan are in the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to tell her, butn insisted that we shouldn¡¯t. He warned us repeatedly not to tell her about this. It would only harm her if we did,¡± Sean said helplessly.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The boy sighed. ¡°Oh, tan¡¯s right. Lily has done enough for our ss. We can¡¯t cause more trouble for her.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, someone kicked the ssroom door open with a loud bang.


    Sean and the boy turned around, jumping in fright from their chairs. ¡°Lily, didn¡¯t you leave to have lunch?¡±


    Lily gaze sweeping over Sean. ¡°What happened to Anya andn?¡±


    stood with her hands in her pockets, her cold NE


    ¡°Lily, please don¡¯t ask about it. They told me not to say anything about it,¡± Sean said with a pained expression. She raised her eyes slightly, and Sean saw a cold glint shooting straight at him.

 My Substitute Wife is a Bigwig Chapter 261

    Chapter <b>261 </b>


    Sean shudilered, saying, ¡°T- They were beaten up till their limbs were fractured. The other party made them disappear from the school.¡±


    He was afraid of Llv¡¯s imposing presence and told her everything honestly.


    Lily¡¯s body went cold. ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°Zoey!¡± Sean gulped.


    She furrowed her brows. ¡°Who is she?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily had never heard of her before.


    ¡°S¨CShe¡­¡± Sean nced around to ensure there were only three of them in the ssroom before whispering, ¡°She¡¯s from Bridgeport, and her family has generations of merit. They¡¯re researchers who develop weapons for the country every year. So, their whole family gets special treatment.¡±


    He moved closer to her, leaning in to whisper, ¡°Zoey transferred here in 9th grade. She controls the entire school. Jack and Heather don¡¯t dare to spe in front of her when she¡¯s around because her bodyguards have all won world championships.¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression grew impatient. ¡°What does this have to do with Anya andnd


    ¡°Zoey¡¯s the queen bee in school. Everyone has to obey her, and even Mr. Woodly has to tolerate her. If someone messes with her, she¡¯ll make their lives a living hell, and she won¡¯t get in trouble for it.


    ¡°Anya bumped into her and got brutally beaten up,n tried to help her and ended up the same. Zney threatened them, saying that if they ever set foot into Ember Creek again, she¡¯d make sure their families suffered too because they had offended her.¡±


    During the two years Zoey <b>was </b>at Ember Creek, she was a nightmare for everyone.


    But suddenly, in 12th grade, she announced she <b>would </b>take a leave of absence, much to the delight of the students. It was her absence that allowedck and Heather to dominate the school.


    After Lily arrived, the school¡¯s atmosphere improved significantly. At least, there were fewer incidents of students being bullied


    However, no one expected Zoey to suddenly return just two months before the SATS


    Lily hung her headphones around her neck with her eyes cast downward, making it hard to discern her expression. After a long pause, she finally lifted her gaze. ¡°<b>Take </b>me to Anya and Ian.¡± **


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go?¡± Sean asked cautiously,


    She nced at him expressionlessly, then turned and walked away.


    After hesitating briefly, he followed her out.


    Ember Creek wasn¡¯t far from Lagersfield City Hospital. They took a cab and arrived in just <b>over </b>ten minutes


    Anya andn were in the same ward. It was arranged byn himselt. Now that they were hospitalized after being severely injured, Lan wouldn¡¯t let Anya stay alone in a regr ward.


    When Lily arrived, they had just finished receiving intravenous fluids. Both of them were immobilized and lying in bed, unable to move a muscle. Anya stared at the ceiling, tears streaming uncontrobly down her checks,n looked uneasy as well but managed to hold back his tears.


    n, what should we do? If my parents find out, they¡¯ll be devastated,¡± Anya choked out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. What if there¡¯s a chance?¡±n replied though he wasn¡¯t entirely hopeful. After all, they were already disabled.


    Anya pursed her lips. ¡°What do you think Lily will do it she finds out? Will she go after Zoey?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Lan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll ask Sean about it when she can¡¯t find us in school. I don¡¯t know if that <b>kid </b><b>can </b>


    Before Tan (mil) finish his sentence, the door bimmediately after. Lily¡¯s icy voler cut through


    cked open with a loud bang. Fair. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯vee here myself. ¡±


    nulle her pressure.

 Chapter 262

    nulle her pressure.


    Chapter 262


    Anya andn were taken aback when they saw Lily show up. They were both at a loss for words for a moment.


    Anya quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting Lily to see how upset she was. Ian, on the other hand, wore a stiff expression.


    After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke up, ¡°Lily, <b>what </b>are you doing here?¡±


    <b>ncing </b>behind her, he spotted Sean and immediately exploded, ¡°Damn it! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to say anything to <b>Lily</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Sean looked aggrieved. ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t me! She forced it out of me.¡±


    Lily shot a look atn, her voice calm but carrying an edge of steel. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te, were you nning to just waste away here?¡±


    Ignoring his <b>response</b>, Lily walked over and firmly gripped his wrist. She inspected his arm and then his leg, her eyes <b>narrowing </b>sharply. His tendons


    were severed, both in his hands and feet.


    How great¡­ Someone dared to harm her people. She wouldn¡¯t forget this debt.


    ¡°Zoey¡¯s background isn¡¯t that simple, Lily. I <b>admit </b>you¡¯re amazing, but we don¡¯t want to bring you more trouble. You should go back. If she finds out <b>you¡¯re </b>involved andes after you, I¡¯ll be the one to me,¡±n said.


    Lily looked at him, a hint of exasperation in her eyes. ¡°You should worry about yourself first.¡±


    Her face was expressionless as she pulled out her silver needle pouch and swiftly inserted silver needles into his acupoints.


    Then, she took a small porcin bottle from her pocket and gave him a pill to swallow. After a few moments, she removed the needles and stood up, her expression impassive. ¡°Get out of bed.¡±


    He had no idea Lily knew anything about medicine.


    <b>When </b>she inserted the needles earlier, he hadn¡¯t felt a thing and thought maybe she was just venting her frustration on him.


    Lily ignored his bewildered expression and moved to Anya¡¯s bedside. She repeated the same process¨Cperforming acupuncture on her, feeding her medicine, and removing the needles.


    <b>When </b>she was done, she noticed they were both still lying in bed, hesitant.


    Her gaze turned icy. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you nning to stay in bed for the rest of your lives?¡±


    Jan clenched his teeth, determination shing in his eyes. He decided to give it a try and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.


    As soon as he <b>did</b>, he froze in astonishment.


    Holy¡­


    Jan was stunned.


    He could move?


    He wasn¡¯t convinced. He hopped on the ground a couple of times<b>, </b>his eyes wide with disbelief. ¡°Holy crap! Lily, what did you do? I can actually <b>move </b>now!


    Anya, upon hearing his exmation, quickly got out of bed as well. She tested her own hands and feet, and she was able to move them. Tears of relief and joy welled up in her eyes. ¡°I can move too!!


    Watching from the side, Sean waspletely dumbfounded. It was like witnessing <b>a </b>miracle.


    Just moments ago, they were practically crippled, and now, they were moving around like nothing <b>had </b>happened.


    Lily calmly put away her silver needles. She said nothing to Anya andn as she headed to the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to school.¡±


    Ian hesitated, unsure of how to stop her. ¡°Lily¡±


    Zoey had made it clear. If they were seen <b>at </b>school again, she would target their families. It wasn¡¯t that he was scared for himself, but he didn¡¯t want to drag <b>his </b>family into this mess.


    Lily didn¡¯t even break her stride as she replied, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for someone to protect your family.¡±


    ¡°What about Anya¡¯s family?¡± Tan asked, still worried. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She paused in her tracks and turned to look at Anyn. ¡°I sent someone to find your parents, but they weren¡¯t at home.¡±


    Anya nodded. ¡°They¡¯re probably out selling vegetables. They usually go out for a couple of weeks at a time. As long as Zoey can¡¯t find <b>them</b>, they should

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    ¡°Itill a month?¡± Lily looked at Anya skeptically. What kind of vegetables took half a month to sell?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anya replied earnestly. ¡°After harvesting the vegetables, my parents sell them in other <b>regions</b>. Once they leave, they¡¯re usually gone <b>for </b><b>abour </b>hall a month.¡±


    Lily <b>didn¡¯t </binent further, but <b>her </b>eyes <b>narrowed </b>thoughtfully.


    <b>As </b><b>soon </b>as Anya andn returned to Ember Creek, their presence caused an uproar


    Students who <b>saw </b>them reacted as if they had seen ghosts.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, is that Anya andn?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b>, it¡¯s them, no doubt!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Weren¡¯t they One student looked around nervously and lowered their voi¡­ Weren¡¯t they crippled by Zoey¡¯s <b>people</b>? <b>How </b>are they walking around just fine?¡±


    ¡°I saw the incident myself that <b>day</b>. They were carried out on stretchers<b>,</b>¡± another student chimed in.


    ¡°Could they have met the miracle¨Cworlding doctor or something?¡±


    ¡°That must be it!¡±


    On their way back to the ssroom, bothn and Anya were quite anxious, worried that Zoey might find out they had returned ande to cause trouble.


    Just as they were thinking about this, Zoey appeared.


    Their bodies instinctively tensed up at the sight of her, a reflex bom from the fear she instilled in them. They didn¡¯t even dare to exchange nces with <b>each </b>other.


    Lily observed the girl approaching. She was dressed provocatively, wearing a short beige fur coat over a tight¨Cfitting camisole dress and long boots. Her long, ck hair was sleek and smooth.


    their files


    Lily¡¯s memory was excellent. She had already memorized the entire student body of Ember Creek when she went through their files. She recognized the girl <b>as </b>Zoey.


    The files contained only her name <b>and </b>a photo¨Cno records of her academic history or age.


    Zoey noticed Lily too. She paused<b>, </b>slightly taken aback. In her recollection, there wasn¡¯t a girl like Lily in Ember Creek


    As she studied Lily¡¯s face, a sh of jealousy crossed her eyes. She had always prided herself on her beauty, confident that no one could surpass her. But <b>today</b>, someone had outshone her.


    and untainted


    Despite her jealousy, Zoey had to admit that the girl in front of her was truly stunning. She had a beauty that captivated attention¨Cpure an with an ethereal grace and a hint of coldness


    She had seen many beautiful women, but none couldpare to Lily.


    Lily stood there with her hands in her pockets, gazing at Zoey with a calm, indifferent expression.


    The two locked eyes for a long r


    e moment.


    Eventually, Zoey looked away, only to narrow her eyes slightly. That gaze from Lily was


    so sharp that even she felt <b>a </b>chill.


    She turned her attention ton and Anya. Seeing them standing there unharmed, she was initially surprised. Then, in a cold <b>voice</b><b>, </b><b>she </b>said, ¡°How dare you stille to school? It seems like you don¡¯t take my words seriously!¡±


    <b>Anya </b>kept her head down as she was too afraid to speak.


    Ian felt a wave of fear but didn¡¯t want Anya to feel embarrassed. Summoning his courage, he spoke up, ¡°Anya only bumped into you by ident. We¡¯ve been hospitalized for a few days because of it. Isn¡¯t that enough? You don¡¯t own Ember Creek.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zoey reacted as if she had just heard the most ridiculous jole. ¡°What did you just say? I didn¡¯t quite catch that. Say it again.¡±


    Ian¡¯s body tensed, and fear gripped him. He didn¡¯t dare to repeat his words.


    Suddenly, Zoey grabbed his hair with a swift, vicious motion. Her voice turned icy and menacing. ¡°I said, say it again!¡±


    endure.


    She tightened her grip on his hair and pped his face with her other hand. ¡°Not spealding? In that case, your whole family¡¯s going to die!¡± Raising her hand, she almed a palm strike at his leg


    Lily narrowed her eyes, swiftly moving to stand in front of Tan. With a light touch, she grabbed Zoey¡¯s wrist and exerted force on it, flinging her backward N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Zoey looked up in astonishment at Lily. She hadn¡¯t expected anyone to block her strike.


    That palm strike was not ordinary. She had infused it with vital energy, and there were only <b>a </b>few people in the world who could withstand it Who exactly was this girl?

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264


    Zoey regained her footing. She didn¡¯t dare move a muscle <b>as </b>she stared at


    Lily didn¡¯t <b>move </b>either. She assumed a casual <b>stance </b>with <b>her </b>hands in her pocket. There was a <b>long </b>pause before Zoey asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Lily Brooks,¡± Lily drawled icily.


    Zoey¡¯s expression flickered. ¡°So, we meet atst.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Lily¡¯s interest was piqued, and <b>her </b>lips curled into <b>a </b><b>smirk </b>as she asked, ¡°Did youe for me?¡±


    Zory <b>stayed </b>quiet as she pondered <b>on </b>her response.


    Lily continued, ¡°The Moores, huh? I¡¯ve never heard of your family nor do I have any grudge against them. In that case, which family sent you here to look for me?¡±


    She thought hard but could not recall having ever crossed paths with the Moore family. They didn¡¯t seem to be working for or with anyone either.


    ording to the document <b>Elliot </b>had given her, the Moores didn¡¯t ally themselves with any family. Nheless, they were a formidable force. They had an impressive <b>number </b>of weapons research methods in their arsenal, and the weapons in question were of advanced makes and models.


    As such, countries and Hidden Families vied for the Moores¡± support.


    However, the Moores didn¡¯t listen to anyone other than the president.


    The country had been peaceful in recent years, courtesy of the weapons developed by the Moores which kept foreign enemy forces at bay. If the Moores had nothing to do with the Hidden Families and had no grudge against Lily, then Zoey had no reason to be here.


    Zoey hadn¡¯t expected Lily to figure out her business here <b>so </b>quickly. She stiffened before breaking into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re different. They told me you were smart, but I didn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Few in this world are truly smart¨Cor smarter than me, at least. Now that I¡¯ve met you in person, I stand corrected.¡±


    Straightening her clothes, Zoey tucked her hair back and met Lily¡¯s gaze. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t show up for another few days after your grandmother¡¯s passing. ¡±


    Lily lifted her icy gaze until it fell on Zoey.


    A momentter, she looked away and turned to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t n on getting my hands dirty while I¡¯m still in mourning. Tell your buddy to stop pushing my buttons or there¡¯ll be bloodshed.¡±


    Saying that, she stopped in her tracks and raised her voice. ¡°Everyone in Ember Creek High School is under my protection! From now on, dares to hurt a single person <b>from </b>Ember Creek High School will have their throats ripped out by me!¡±


    No sooner had the words left Lily¡¯s mouth than the students erupted into raucous cheers. ¡°Long live Lily!¡±


    anyone who


    The students of Ember Creek High School had been walking <b>on </b>eggshells as they were intimidated by Zoey. They all believed their peaceful school life hade to an end.


    But Lily had returned. While she didn¡¯t directly pick a fight with Zoey<b>, </b>her words left an impact.


    Lily left withn and Anya. They fell in step behind her and stared at her back. Raising their thumbs, they praised in unison, ¡°Good one, Big Boss!¡±


    They wouldn¡¯t obey anyone but Lily, whom they thought was a living legend.


    Despite being a transfer student from the countryside, she managed to put Ember Creek High School¡¯s bully in her ce while being a medical extraordinaire and an honor roll student.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something different about Lily?¡± Anya asked.


    Ian stared at Lily but did not see anything different about her. ¡°What do you mean?


    ¡°She seems lonelier somehow,¡±


    ¡°Does she?¡±n asked, baffled.


    Anya shook her head, sering no point in enlightening him any further.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lily and the others had left that Zoey said slowly, ¡°You cane out now.¡±

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    A man d in ck emerged from behind Zoey. He was a skilled martial artist, and with his near¨Cundetectable presence, he could usually stay in one spot without being easily noticed. The ck¨Cd man stopped behind Zoey and greeted, ¡°Ms. Moore.¡±


    His name was Jayden Moore, Zoey¡¯s bodyguard of 18 years. He had been tasked with protecting her since she was born.


    Zoey nced in the direction where Lily had disappeared and asked, ¡°What do you think about her?¡±


    Jayden chose the best¨Cfitting description, saying, ¡°She¡¯s inscrutable.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Zoey chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you describe anyone as such.¡±


    No one else knew Jayden as well as she did. She doubted many in this world could beat himn in a fish


    Whoever she had <b>a </b>hard time dealing with, she usually sent Jayden to take care of them.


    Not even Zoey <b>was </b>a match for him.


    Jayden had assessed a great number of people during his <b>years </b><b>of </b>service to Zory. And yet<b>, </b>she had never heard him describe anyone as a formidable opponent. Rather, he called all the opponents he had encountered trash.


    <b>As </b>such, Zoey was surprised when Jayden described Lily as inscrutable.


    He looked grim as he borated, ¡°Ms. Moore, she knew I <b>was </b>behind you the whole time.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zoey¡¯s expression flickered as she stared at Jayden in disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Jayden added, ¡°She kept staring in my direction and even tossed a silver needle at me. She moved fast enough that she nearly tackled me.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Zoey was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re Jayden Moore! You¡¯re at the top of the Divine Warrior List, and you¡¯re telling me you were nearly taken down by a 19¨Cyear¨Cold <b>woman</b>?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best warrior,¡± Jayden pointed out gravely. ¡°Besides, Lily knows her way around vital energy as well. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t get on her nerves. ¡°You were never feuding in the first ce, and you¡¯ve already repaid your debt bying to Ember Creek High School, You shouldn¡¯t poke your nose where it¡¯s not wanted, not that you could.¡±


    Zoey considered Jayden¡¯s words. ¡°I understand.¡±


    A pauseter, she smiled and said, ¡°But I think Lily is interesting enough for me to look into, I¡¯ll stay in Ember Creek High School andplete my SATS here<b>.</b>¡±


    Jayden made to st


    to stop her. ¡°Ms. Moore


    She cut him off, ¡°Spare me the lecture. From now on, I¡¯m a student here. I¡¯d like you to leave, and don¡¯te looking for me unless it¡¯s about something urgent.¡±


    Without waiting for Jayden¡¯s response<b>, </b><b>Zoey </b>turned on her heels and left.


    Meanwhile, in ss 1 of 12th grade, Poppy looked grim as she sat in the back of the room.


    Bobby noticed this and asked, ¡°You alright?¡±


    She pursed her lips before saying, ¡°Bobby, I don¡¯t want to keep this


    is <b>secret </b>anymore.¡±


    Bobby nched. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Lily will be pissed if she finds out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of Lily that I don¡¯t want to hide this anymore,¡± Poppy said, <b>tears </b>springing to her eyes. ¡°She has always protected us and kept us <b>safe</b><b>, </b>yet we <b>can¡¯t </b>help her.


    ¡°Madam Hutchinson was on


    the run, and I couldn¡¯t get to her in time. It¡¯s time we help lighten Lily¡¯s burden.¡±


    <b>Bobby </b>and Poppy had put up with the bullying all these years. There were times when things got so rough that Poppy wanted to take her own life, but she still obeyed Lily¡¯s orders to keep her powers hidden.


    However, Poppy decided she was done being idle. She hated herself for not being able to save Madam Hutchinson


    She made up her mind <b>to </b><b>set </b>up her own informationwork so that she could help Lily whenever she required it.


    ¡°But¡­<b>¡± </b>Bobby trailed off, hesitating. He was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Bobby, you¡¯ve been wanting to show your cards for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡± Poppy clutched his sleeve. ¡°If we don¡¯t want to add to Lily¡¯s burden, then it¡¯s time to take things into <b>our </b>own hands. We¡¯ll evenge our parents and aplish what Lily seeks to do.<b>¡± </b>


    After a moment of thought, Bobby said, ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    Lily did not return to the ssroom with <b>Anya</b>. Instead, she went to the principal¡¯s office.


    In the office, Joseph was leaning back against his chair. His expression was grave as he rubbed <b>his </b>temple.


    The knocks on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. He straightened up and schooled his expression into neutrality. ¡°Come <b>in</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    Lily pushed the door open and walked into the office, Joseph stiffened at the sight of her before he frowned, ¡°What are you doing back <b>in </b>school? Shouldn¡¯t you rest for a few more <b>days</b><b>?</b>¡±


    He rose to pour her a ss of water, assessing her as he did. She seemed to be in good spirits, save for the trace of exhaustion that lined her features. Joseph reckoned she had to be tired after attending the auction in Bridgeport and taking care of her grandmother¡¯s postmortem matters.


    Lily took a sip of the warm water. ¡°I¡¯ve got to hit the books now that the SATS are just around the <b>corner</b>.¡±


    Theer of Joseph¡¯s mouth twitched. He was amused that she, of all people, needed to ¡°<b>hit </b>the books¡°.


    ¡°So, to what pleasure do I owe this visit?¡± <b>Joseph </b>knew Lily wouldn¡¯t look for him unless she needed something


    ¡°<b>I </b>do have something to bring to your attention,¡± Lily began. ¡°Mr. Woodley, have you heard of Zoey¡¯s recent bullying streak?¡±


    Joseph barked an exasperatedugh. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard all about it.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you n to do about it?¡± Lily pressed, her calm voice not entirely concealing the sharp and demanding undertone.


    Joseph pinched his nose bridge. ¡°<b>While </b>I¡¯d love to do something about it, I can¡¯t. You¡¯ve been to Bridgeport. You should know that my family isn¡¯t as powerful as before. As things are, whatever the Moores do is out of <b>our </b>hands.¡±


    Lily lowered her head. A beatter, she looked up. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to ept the proposition you offered the other day.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He <b>froze </b>as he registered her words. He bolted to his feet and demanded in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re epting it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lily stood up. ¡°But the procedure will have to wait until after <b>the </b>SATs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Joseph grinned from ear to ear, happy that Lily had considered and epted his proposition to step up as principal.


    Once that was done, Lily would be tied to the Woodley family. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Lily turned to leave. As she did so, she nced at Joseph and said impassively, ¡°Mr. Woodley, I suggest you go to Bridgeport one of these days and tell your family to lie low for a while.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Is something about to happen in Bridgeport?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.¡±


    A grim look registered on Joseph¡¯s face after Lily left.


    During free period in the afternoon, Lily surprisingly did not take a nap. Instead, she took out her math workbook and pored over the questions.


    She had done <b>these </b>questions countless times, but she figured she was better off going through <b>them </b>than stewing in her own boredom.


    A momentter, John suddenly opened the door and entered the ssroom. There was someone behind him.


    When Lily saw the person, her eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled her lips.


    John rapped his knuckles on the desk and said, ¡°Everyone, eyes on me for a minute! I have an announcement.¡±


    He


    e gestured to the person next to him and said, ¡°This is the new transfer student who will be joining our <b>ss </b>from now onward. I hope all of you will take good care of her.¡±


    He then addressed the new transfer student, ¡°Go on, introduce yourself.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Good afternoon, everyone. I¡¯m Ynda Albott.¡±


    The students of ss 18 gaped at <b>Ynda</b><b>, </b>seemingly at a loss..


    A long pauseter, someone said, ¡°Who the hell in their right mind would transfer to a new school two <b>months </b>before the SATs?¡±


    ¡°First, it was Lily. Then, Zoey came back after a year of missing school. Now, we have a transfer student just before the SATS? This year¡¯s been wild¡±


    ¡°I know Ember Creek High School has a high <b>admissions </b>rate, but transferring here when the SATs are right around the corner is madness!¡± Lily leveled a stare at Ynda<b>. </b>She then took out her phone and sent Joseph a text.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    Lily¡¯s text read: ¡°When did Ynda transfer to Ember Creek High School?¡±


    Joseph¡¯s reply was almost instantaneous: ¡°She applied about a week ago.¡±


    Lily: ¡°Got it.¡±


    She stored her phone away and narrowed her eyes in thought. She was in Bridgeport a week ago, around the same time Ynda decided toe to Lagersfield City.


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Lily thought as a low chuckle escaped her.


    John looked around the ssroom. <b>Pointing </b>at Heather¡¯s old seat, he said to Ynda, ¡°You can sit there.¡±


    Ynda shed <b>him </b>a sweet smile ¡°Alright. Thanks, Mr. Everton.¡±


    After briefly exining the ss rules to Ynda, John left.


    Ynda met Lily¡¯s gaze and gave her a triumphant smile.


    The students in ss lost interest in their books after Ynda took her seat, asionally sneaking nces at her. She was beautiful, with delicate features and skin like porcin. She looked <b>elegant </b><b>and </b>understated in her expensive clothing.


    Although her looks paled slightly inparison to Lily¡¯s, she was easily the second¨Cmost beautiful girl in school.


    She was even more attractive than Zoey.


    Previously, Shannon was the belle of Ember Creek High School. But she <b>had </b>lost out to Zoey, Ynda, and Lily.


    When ss ended, Ynda put her textbooks into the desk drawer <b>and </b>took a few things out of her backpack.


    She then rose to her feet and called out to the students who were filing out of the ssroom, ¡°Guys, wait! I have a present for all of you.¡±


    With that, Ynd distributed the presents she had brought for the ss.


    Someone cried at once, ¡°Whoa! Entry tickets to City of Glory¡¯s tournament?¡±


    ¡°No way! And these are all issued by the Titanium Force Squadron! This is amazing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>mind</b>¨Cblown. You know, I heard the Titanium <b>Force </b>Squadron recently added a new female member. She¡¯s never shown her face before, but her skills are <b>out </b>of this world. Shended a double kill in the first round. She¡¯s as good as Tyrant back in the day!¡±


    Do you <b>think </b>Ynda could be the new member of the Titanium Force Squadron?¡±


    lly couldn¡¯t focus on her books with all the excited chatter in the ssroom<b>. </b>She frowned in irritation


    Lily


    Ynda handed one of the entry tickets to Anya, but she rejected it. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not much of a gamer. I appreciate the gesture, though ¡± Yna bristled. She eyed Anya for a few seconds before she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I should¡¯ve prepared better. I¡¯ll give you another present


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to-


    Before Anya could finish her sentence, <b>Ynda </b><b>walked </b>over tori.


    She thought Ian would ept the entry ticket, but he surprised her by turning it down as well. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not a gamer.¡±


    That was a bald¨C<b>faced </b>lie. He was an avid <b>gamer</b><b>, </b>and he usually yed several rounds with his friends during his free time.


    He simply did not want Ynda¡¯s p


    present. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Since swearing his loyalty to Lily, he had be more observant. He had noticed Ynda¡¯s gaze constantly shifting to Lily the moment she showed up in ss.


    When he nced at Lily and saw her <b>pensive </b>expression<b>, </b>he knew at once that the two girls were acquainted. <b>However</b>, he doubted the acquaintance was a friendly <b>one</b><b>. </b>


    As Lily¡¯s most loyal fan,n would not betray her by epting a present from her enemy.


    Ynda was stunned byn¡¯s rejection<b>, </b>but she said nothing about it.


    Anya looked away and whispered to Lily, ¡°City of Glory is the hottest game right now. Almost everyone in school is ying it. ¡°<b>Besides</b>, the Titanium <b>Force </b>Squadron has won several championships. I think Ynda could be one of the squadron¡¯s members.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    1r 100?¡±


    Lily tilted her head to one side and assessed Anya in surprise. ¡°<b>You </b>y City of Glory, too?¡±


    Anya nodded. ¡°Yech, but I¡¯m not really good at it.¡±


    She started ying City of Glory in 10th grade, but she didn¡¯t have much time to hone her skills due to her study load. She was a below¨Caverage yer at


    best.


    However, she stayed tuned to all thetest updates for City of Glory. She was also a fan of the Titanium Force Squadron, especially Tyrant. She was obsessed with the yer.


    Anya¡¯s admiration for Tyrant was different from her admiration for Lucas.


    Lucas had the looks<b>, </b><b>dance </b>moves, and a keen sense of professionalism


    Tyrant, on the other hand, was attractive on a different level. Anya <b>was </b>mesmerized by the way they approached the virtual battlefield with lethal focus. Anya wished she could watch them live at a gaming championship, but she would first need to make enough money to buy an entry ticket. She wondered If Tyrant would have retired by then.


    ¡°Are you a fan of Tyrant?¡± Lily gave up on reading and closed her book, leaning back against her chair with azy grace. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Anya looked lovesick. ¡°I¡¯m a huge fan. Obsessed<b>, </b>even!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s


    <b>the </b>case, why didn¡¯t you ept Ynda¡¯s present?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy getting tickets issued by the Titanium Force Squadron. Lily could only imagine how much Ynda had splurged on those tickets just to win over the ss.


    <b>Anya </b>straightened up and gave Lily a solemn look. ¡°T¡¯d never betray you like that!¡±


    Lily stared at her speechlessly.


    Later that afternoon, the students worked on more practice tests throughout physics and chemistry sses.


    Lily did not <b>leave </b><b>the </b>ssroom and stayed in her seat the entire time. She wanted to slump over her desk and take a nap, but sleep would note.


    Her insomnia had worsened since Belinda¡¯s passing. It was ironic how she couldn¡¯t cure herself despite being such a medical extraordinaire. Then again, maybe she didn¡¯t want to cure herself.


    Ynda left Lily alone for the entire afternoon, keeping to her desk most of the time. Lily paid no mind to her, and the day idly passed.


    yup.


    When school ended, Loid came by to pick Lily up


    Ynda followed Lily out of the school gates. When she saw Loid¡¯s car, she dashed past Lily and stopped in front of Loid. She asked with a sweet smile,¡® Loid, are you here to pick me?¡±


    Loid hadn¡¯t expected Ynda to be here. He stared at her for a few moments as if to silently ask, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Ynda raised a brow and gave him a look, silently answering, ¡°To see you, of course!¡±


    Loid was at a loss. He drew back his gaze and eyed Ynda indifferently. ¡°What do you want?


    ¡°I heard this school had good admission rates, so I transferred here. Agnes said you¡¯d show me the ropes.¡± Ynda gave Loid an innocent smile. ¡°So, can I count on you?


    Loid¡¯s gaze darkened. There was a long pause before he said, ¡°Get in the car.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Loid.¡±


    She made to open the door of the front passenger seat, but Loid¡¯s icy voice hit her. ¡°In the backseat.¡±


    Resentful tears welled up in Ynda¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I get carsick=¡±


    Loid interrupted her brusquely, ¡°The only person who gets to sit in the front passenger seat is my financ¨¦e. Are you sure you want to sit there?¡±


    Ynda swallowed and turned to re at Lily. She quickly regained herposure and said, ¡°I¡¯ll sit in the back.¡±


    Lily did <b>not </b>open the car door until Ynda had gone into the backseat.


    She didn¡¯t look so good. At first, Loid thought she might be angry, so he exined, ¡°I owe her sister a favor.¡±


    Lily nodded and gave him a cursory look. She said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. ¡±


    Loid fell speechless again.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    Loid didn¡¯t believe Lily for a second, not when <b>she </b>looked so borderline murderous


    As if reading Lodd¡¯s mind, Lily borated, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Did your Insomnia act up again? Lokd asked grimly


    He knew Lily was an insomniac, but her condition hadn¡¯t been serious before. However, she seemed to be losing sleep ever since Belinda¡¯s <b>passing </b>


    At first, Lold thought her losing sleep was part of her grieving, But now, it seemed she was losing sleep because of her worsening insomnia


    lyhammed tiredly in response. She leaned into her seat, her eyes fluttering close. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s nothing new. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Ynda was furious that Lily and Loid were so lost in their conversation that they treated her as if she were invisible. Still, she leashed her temper and stayed quiet in the backseat.


    Halfway through the drive, Lily suddenly opened her <b>eyes </b>and said, ¡°They should reach soon.¡±


    Naturally, Loid knew who she was referring to


    hummed in response <b>and </b>finally said to Ynda, ¡°I¡¯ll let you get off at the next corner and call a cab for you. You can make your way back alone.¡± Ynda blinked, dumbfounded. ¡°Alone?¡±


    Loid spat out the words impatiently, ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t tell me a grown woman like you has no sense of direction?¡±


    Ynda bit her lip. ¡°But I haven¡¯t eaten.¡±


    ¡°Then find <b>a </b>restaurant or something.¡± Loid pulled up at the junction and took a couple <b>of </b>bills from his wallet. He handed them to Ynda<b>, </b>saying, ¡°Will this cover your mea?¡±


    Tears streamed past Ynda¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You promised Agnes you¡¯d take care of me. I have no friends here, and I don¡¯t know how to get around. How could you abandon me like this?¡±


    ¡°I just gave y


    ve you money for food, and I¡¯m letting you stay at my ce. Haven¡¯t I done enough?¡± Loid turned around, a frosty gleam shining in his eyes. He added venomously, ¡°Or must I take you to bed before you¡¯re satisfied?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Neither Lily nor Ynda expected such a crude response from someone as mild¨Cmannered as Loid. They froze.


    Lily was the first to recover from shock. She pinched the space between her brows as she hid a smile.


    She wondered what Ynda had done to piss Loid off so grandly.


    Ynda was an educated and cultured youngdy. She had never been spoken to so crudely before. Embarrassment and despondence filled her as Loid¡¯s words echoed in her cars.


    Her tears rolled down her face like rivulets. ¡°Lold, how could you say something like that? I¡¯ve known you since I was a kid. Are you going to sideline me now that you have a fianc¨¦e?¡±


    She looked beautiful even when she cried. It could break any man¡¯s heart to see her like this, but Lily and Lold w cry more than anything


    were different. They hated seeing anyone


    Lold did not even bat an eye as he shoved the money into Ynda¡¯s hands. ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant up ahead.


    Ynda clutched the money in her hands but did not get out of the <b>car </b>


    Go get you


    your meal there!¡±


    The air was charged with tension.


    Suddenly, Lily¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the caller ID and pot the call through.


    ¡°Ms. Brooks, we¡¯re here,¡± the person on the other line said respectfully.


    ¡°Alright. Wait there,¡± Lily replied and hung up.


    Ynda was still sniveling in the backseat. As her patience ran thin, Lily snapped<b>, </b>¡°Get out of the car already!¡±


    Ynda¡¯s temper red. She snarled. ¡°You have no right <b>to </b><b>chase </b>me out of the <b>car</b>! You¡¯re just Loid¡¯s fianc¨¦e, not his wife! You don¡¯t get to speak here!¡±


    Loid rubbed his temples tiredly and secretly uttered <b>a </b>prayer for Ynda. Lily did not take kindly to being snapped at


    Sure enough, Lily narrowed her eyes <b>as </b>a shadow passed over her features.


    She pulled down her baseball cap and opened the car <b>door</b>. After getting like a bag of trash


    Without another word, Lily slid back <b>into </b>the drive, Luid


    front pas


    Lold cleared his throat. ¡°Right away.¡±


    He could tell L?ly was pissed


    gout of the car, she pulled open the door to the backseat and hauled Ynda ond


    passenger seat and turned to look at Loid. Her voice was icy as she put out, ¡°Aren¡¯t y


    going to

 Chapter 270

    going to


    Chapter 270


    Loid and Lily went up to the presidential suite on the 22nd floor of Lagersfield Hotel


    Layton and Cillian were already waiting for them. It seemed Qillian¡¯s condition had worsened over the past week. He was lying on the bed when he saw Lily and made to sit up. However, Lily stopped him.


    Layton helped Qillian into a sitting position before pouring tea for Llly and Loid.


    Qillian looked at Lily and asked emotionally, ¡°Will you truly be able to cure me, Ms. Brooks?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lily promised from where <b>she </b>sat across Qillian. She added calmly, ¡°I¡¯m doing this as a favor to someone.¡±


    Qillian needed no further boration to know who that ¡°someone¡± might be. He nodded, tears glistening in his eyes as he asked, ¡°When will I get to see Michael?


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask him for you,¡± Lily said.


    She set down her cup of tea and took out her pouch of silver needles. To start th


    things off, she took Qillian¡¯s pulse.


    Her expression turned grim as she pointed out, ¡°Your toxin levels <b>have </b>increased. I suggest you stay in Lagersfield City for the time being. I¡¯lle by every night to perform acupuncture on you.¡±


    ¡°<b>Toxins</b>?¡± Qillian gaped at Lily, ¡°I thought I was down with some regr illness?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a slow¨Cacting toxin in your body that¡¯s been destroying your organs,¡± Lily exined. She paused before adding, ¡°Did you take the Poison Pill Mr. Morris gave you?¡±


    Mr. Morris? Qillian reckoned she must be talking about Michael. He nodded. <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b>. Filty years ago, when Michael first made the Poison Pill, he gave me


    ¡°He only managed to make five of the Poison Pills and gave them away as gifts. But I know one can make the Poison Pill with Stargaze. I think you can replicate Michael¡¯s <b>work</b>.¡±


    Lily made no response to this. ¡°Lie down. I¡¯ll perform acupuncture on you now.


    A beatter, she added, ¡°I think you should have someone look into the toxins in your body. I don¡¯t know what they are.¡±


    Loid was admittedly shocked to hear this. With Lily¡¯s extraordinary medical skills that put her in a league of her own, it was hard to imagine there was any toxin she didn¡¯t know about.


    And yet, she had just professed that she did not low of the toxins coursing through Qillian¡¯s veins.


    Qillian seemed to have <b>a </b>vague i


    idea of who might have poisoned him. A sad look flickered past his features. ¡°It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s no need to look into the toxins. I¡¯d be happy if you could get them out of my system. As long as I¡¯m alive, the Weiss family will progress for the better.¡±


    Lily gave him a look and said <b>nothing</b>, readying the antitoxin shot.


    While the toxins in Qillian¡¯s veins were odd, an antitoxin shot was all Lily needed to get rid of them. After she administered the shot, Qillian felt his body loosen with relief


    Leyton was stunned by the results


    He knew there were medical extraordinaires in this world, but he never thought a youngdy like Lily would be one of them.


    Having witnessed Michael¡¯s medical skills before, Qillian was not <b>so </b>surprised by Lily¡¯s prowess.


    Lily was Michael¡¯s


    apprentice, after all. While her prowess was <b>no </b>surprise, her methods v


    still shocking.


    Qillian had seen the way Michael treated his patients, but his acupuncture techniques were not as special as Lily¡¯s. Qillian could confirm that Lily was, indeed, the cream of the crop.


    When Lily was done with the acupuncture, she closed her pouch and stored the needles. ¡°I might have gotten rid of the toxins, but your damaged organs require <b>a </b>longer treatment<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°Tell me what I need to do,¡± Qillian said, convinced by Lily¡¯s skills.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a post¨Cacupuncture prescription. Take it ording to the instructions,¡± Lily said. When she noticed it was gettingte, she left with Loid. <b>Quillian </b>sat on the bed after <b>Loid </b>and Lily left, seemingly in deep thought.


    Seated across from him, Layton did not interrupt his thoughts.


    A whileter, Qillian said, ¡°Make the arrangements as Ms. <b>Brooks </b>Instructed and help her out with whatever <b>she </b>needs.¡±


    Chapter 561!!!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!